Financial decisions involving credit default swaps over the business cycle

We propose a modeling approach to disentangle how idiosyncratic and aggregate shocks shape the impact of credit default swaps (CDSs) on CDS firms' financial decisions. Our relatively parsimonious model highlights a novel mechanism contributing to CDS procyclicality. We show that CDSs postpone debt renegotiation and risk-taking investment. CDS firms have higher leverage ratios than non-CDS firms. CDS firms' leverage and credit spreads are counter-cyclical. CDS firms' debt overhang is less significant than non-CDS firms. CDSs can increase or decrease CDS firms' value, depending on macroeconomic conditions, idiosyncratic risk, and borrowers' bargaining power. Empirical studies verify some model predictions.