Kenneth J. Singleton

Professor Emeritus, Finance
+1 (650) 723-5753

Kenneth J. Singleton

The Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus

Academic Area:

Research Statement

Kenneth Singleton’s research focuses on econometric methods for estimation and testing of dynamic asset pricing models; modeling of term structures of government and defaultable bond yields; pricing credit derivatives; measuring and managing market, credit, and liquidity risks; and debt financing in emerging economies.

Bio

Kenneth Singleton is the Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus at Stanford Graduate School of Business. He has published widely on financial risks and their impacts on economic decision-making, including books on credit risk and dynamic asset pricing. His professional awards include the Smith-Breeden Prize (Journal of Finance), Frisch Medal (Econometrica), and the Stephen A. Ross Prize in Financial Economics (Foundation for the Advancement of Research in Financial Economics), and he is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, the Journal of Econometrics, and the Society for Financial Econometrics.

Ken is currently a faculty advisor to, and serves on the Investment Committee of, the Stanford GSB Impact Fund; and is a faculty advisor to Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs. He was the Executive Editor of the Journal of Finance from 2012 to 2016; served as a Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Stanford GSB from 2005 to 2008; was a special advisor to the chief economist at the IMF during the crisis in 2009; and co-led the Fixed Income Research group of Goldman Sachs, Asia while on leave from Stanford in the early 1990’s.

He is President of the Board of the 501(c)3 nonprofit 1 Grain to 1000 Grains that leads programs for low-income communities through which families discover intuitive and actionable plans for more healthful eating and for building financial capacity.

Ken holds a BA in Mathematics from Reed College and a PhD in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Academic Degrees

  • PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1977
  • MS, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1975
  • BA, Reed College, 1973

Academic Appointments

  • At Stanford University since 1987
  • CRSP Visiting Professor of Finance, University of Chicago, 1986
  • Assistant Professor-Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, 1980–1987
  • Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, 1977–1980

Professional Experience

  • Vice-President, Goldman Sachs & Co., 1991–1993 (on leave from Stanford)

Awards and Honors

  • Susan Ford Dorsey Faculty Fellow, 2018–2019
  • Susan Ford Dorsey Faculty Fellow, 2017–2018
  • Coulter Family Faculty Fellow, 2015–2016
  • Spence Faculty Fellow, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2014–2015

Publications

Journal Articles

Kenneth J. Singleton
Journal of Finance
August 2021 Vol. 76 Issue 4 Pages 1611–1654
Marco Giacoletti, Kristoffer T. Laursen, Kenneth J. Singleton
Journal of Finance
July 2020
Scott Joslin, Marcel Priebsch, Kenneth J. Singleton
Journal of Finance
June 2014 Vol. 69 Issue 3 Pages 1197–1233
Kenneth J. Singleton, Scott Joslin, Anh Lee
Journal of Financial Economics
September 2013 Vol. 109 Issue 3 Pages 604-622
Kenneth J. Singleton, Scott Joslin, Anh Le
Journal of Financial Economics
2013 Vol. 11 Issue 4 Pages 581-609
Kenneth J. Singleton, Don H. Kim
Journal of Econometrics
September 2012 Vol. 170 Issue 1 Pages 32-49
Kenneth J. Singleton, Stefan Nagel
Journal of Finance
June 2011 Vol. 66 Issue 3 Pages 873-909
Kenneth J. Singleton, Francis A. Longstaff, Jun Pan, Lasse H. Pedersen
American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics
April 2011 Vol. 3 Issue 2 Pages 75-103
Scott Joslin, Kenneth J. Singleton, Haoxiang Zhu
Review of Financial Studies
October 2010 Vol. 24 Issue 3 Pages 926–970
Kenneth J. Singleton, Anh Le
Review of Financial Studies
May 2010 Vol. 23 Issue 5 Pages 2184
Kenneth J. Singleton, Jun Pan
Journal of Finance
October 2008 Vol. 63 Issue 5 Pages 2345-2384
Kenneth J. Singleton, Qiang Dai, Wei Yang
Review of Financial Studies
February 2007 Vol. 20 Issue 5 Pages 1669
Darrell Duffie, Lasse Heje Pedersen, Kenneth J. Singleton
Journal of Finance
2003 Vol. 58 Issue 1 Pages 119-159
Kenneth J. Singleton, Qiang Dai
Review of Financial Studies
2003 Vol. 16 Issue 3 Pages 631
Kenneth J. Singleton, Qiang Dai
Journal of Financial Economics
March 2002 Vol. 63 Issue 3 Pages 415
Kenneth J. Singleton
Journal of Econometrics
May 2001 Vol. 102 Issue 1 Pages 111-141
Qiang Dai, Kenneth J. Singleton
Journal of Finance
2000 Vol. 55 Issue 5 Pages 1943-1978
Darrell Duffie, Jun Pan, Kenneth J. Singleton
Econometrica
2000 Vol. 68 Issue 6 Pages 1343–1376

Books

Kenneth J. Singleton
Princeton University Press
Princeton
2006

Working Papers

Marco Giacoletti, Kristoffer T. Laursen, Kenneth J. Singleton May 20, 2018

Stanford GSB Affiliations

Service to the Profession

  • Fellow, The Econometric Society
  • Research Associate, Natl. Bureau of Economic Research

Insights by Stanford Business

February 10, 2015
A better way to measure risk premiums in bond markets and, maybe, understand the links between economic activity and yields.
September 15, 2011
Research says there was an "economically and statistically significant effect of investor flows on futures prices."
November 01, 2001
Research suggests that companies are issuing these newly popular securities with more than raising capital in mind.

School News

October 16, 2018
Students take the lead in Stanford GSB Impact Fund to manage investments in mission-driven startups.
November 30, 2017
A new MBA elective shows how households cope outside the traditional banking system, and explores the innovations that can enhance financial wellness.
December 05, 2016
A hands-on learning opportunity for students to manage a fund focused on social and environmental impact, Stanford GSB Impact Fund has made its first investment.
September 05, 2011
"Finance is becoming increasingly integrated with economics, and is drawing more widely from other disciplines," observes Singleton.