Kenneth J. Singleton

The Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Emeritus
Academic Area:
Kenneth J. Singleton

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.

Stanford GSB Affiliations

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

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

Service to the Profession

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

    Professional Experience

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

    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.

    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

    Working Papers

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

    Books

    Kenneth J. Singleton
    Princeton University Press
    Princeton
    2006

    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.