PERSONAL PROFILE
Prof. ZHANG Xiaoyan is the Chair Professor of Finance and Associate Dean at PBC School of Finance, Tsinghua University. She is also the Deputy Director of National Institute of Financial Research and Institute of Fintech Research at Tsinghua University, the director of Xinyuan Fintech Research Center and the director of Research Center for Wealth Management. Prof. Zhang received her B.A. in Economics from Peking University in 1997, and Ph.D. in Finance (with honor) from Columbia Business School in 2002. Before joining Tsinghua University, Prof. Zhang worked at the Johnson School of Management of Cornell University as an Assistant Professor of Finance, and the Krannert School of Management of Purdue University as Duke Realty Chair Full Professor of Finance and Finance Group Head. Currently, Professor Zhang is a senior fellow of the Asian Bureau of Finance and Economic Research (ABFER), and a senior financial expert of the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Professor Zhang served on the CSRC 17th Issuance Examination Committee, and currently serves on the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council, China Global Economic Governance 50 Forum, and Expert Committee of National Internet Finance Association.
Professor Zhang’s research interests include international finance, empirical asset pricing, fintech and Chinese capital market. Many of her works have been published in Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Review of Financial Studies and other top tier academic journals, and have won the best paper awards multiple times. Given her research excellence, Prof. Zhang is appointed as associate editor at Management Science, Financial Management, Journal of Banking and Finance and Journal of Empirical Finance. Her team’s research on Chinese capital market receives the highest level of grant from National Natural Sciences Foundation of China.
Professor Zhang enjoys teaching in global capital market, financial derivatives, risk management and empirical asset pricing for undergraduate, Master of Finance, Ph.D., MBA, financial engineering and executive programs. She received many teaching awards from Cornell, Purdue and Tsinghua University. Due to her significant contributions on teaching and research, Professor Zhang was named one of the “Global Top 40 under 40” business school professors.
ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENTS
Jul. 2002 – June 2010 Assistant Professor of Finance, Johnson School of Management,
Cornell University
Jun. 2010 – Jun. 2014 Associate Professor of Finance, Krannert School of Management,
Purdue University
Jul. 2014 – Aug. 2018 Professor of Finance, Duke Realty Chair, Krannert School of Management,
Purdue University
Aug. 2018 – present Xinyuan Professor of Finance, Associate Dean, PBC School of Finance,
Tsinghua University
PROFESSIONAL APPOINTMENT
July 2013 – present Management Science, Associate Editor
July 2017 – present Financial Management, Associate Editor
July 2017 – present Journal of Banking and Finance, Associate Editor
July 2018 – present Journal of Empirical Finance, Associate Editor
July 2020 – present ABFER, Senior Fellow
EDUCATION
1997 – 2002 Finance & Economics Division, Columbia Business School, Columbia University
Ph.D. in Finance received in October 2002 (graduated with honor)
1993 – 1997 Peking University, School of Economics, Beijing, China
B.A. in Economics received in July 1997
ACADEMIC INTERESTS
Research International Finance, Empirical Asset Pricing, Fintech, Chinese Capital Market
Teaching Derivatives, Empirical Asset Pricing, Risk Management Investments
PUBLICATIONS
1. “Retail Trading and Return Predictability in China”
(with Charles Jones, Donghui Shi and Xinran Zhang),
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, forthcoming.
This paper won CIFFP Best Paper Award.
2. “Risking or De-Risking: How Management Fees Affect Hedge Fund Risk-Taking Choices”
(with Chengdong Yin), Review of Financial Studies, 2023, 36, 904-944.
3. “Can Shorts Predict Return? A Global Perspective”
(with Ekkehart Boehmer, Zsuzsa. R. Huszár, Yanchu Wang and Xinran Zhang),
Review of Financial Studies, 2021, 35, 2428-2463.
4. “Tracking Retail Investor Activity” (with Ekkehart Boehmer, Charles Jones and Xinran Zhang),
Journal of Finance, 2021, 76, 2249-2305.
5. “Government Affiliation and Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms in China”
(with Jinglin Jiang, Li Liao, and Zhengwei Wang), Journal of Empirical Finance, 2021, 62, 87-106.
This paper won CFRC Best Paper Award.
6. “Strategic Risk Shifting and the Idiosyncratic Volatility Puzzle: An Empirical Investigation”
(with Zhiyao Chen, Ilya Strebulaev, and Yuhang Xing),
Management Science, 2020, 67(5), 2751-2772.
7. “Potential pilot problems：Treatment spillovers in financial regulatory experiments”
(with Ekkehart Boehmer and Charles Jones),
Journal of Financial Economics, 2020, 135, 68-87.
8. “What Do Short-Sellers Know?” (with Ekkehart Boehmer, Charles Jones and Julie Wu),
Review of Finance, 2020, 1-33.
This paper won the Spängler-IQAM award for the Best Investments Paper in the Review of Finance.
9. “Anticipating Uncertainty: Straddles around Earnings Announcement”
(with Chao Gao and Yuhang Xing),
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2018, 53, 2587-2617.
10. “Hedge Fund Performance Evaluation under the Stochastic Discount Factor Framework”
(with Haitao Li and Yuewu Xu),
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2016, 51, 231-257.
11. “The information content of the sentiment index” (with Steve Sibley, Yanchu Wang and Yuhang Xing),
Journal of Banking and Finance, 2016, 62, 164-179.
12. “Shackling Short Sellers: The 2008 Shorting Ban” (with Ekkehart Boehmer and Charles Jones),
Review of Financial Studies, lead article, 2013, 26, 1363-1400.
This paper won Best Paper Award at16th Mitsui Finance Symposium at University of Michigan.
13. “Aggregate Idiosyncratic Volatility” (with Geert Bekaert and Robert Hodrick),
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, lead article, 2012, 47, 1155-1185.
This paper won the William F. Sharpe Award for the best paper published in JFQA 2012.
14. “Empirical Evaluation of Asset Pricing Models: Arbitrage and Pricing Errors in Contingent Claims”
(with Zhenyu Wang), Journal of Empirical Finance, 2012, 19, 65-78.
15. “Investing in Talents: Manager Characteristics and Hedge Fund Performances”
(with Haitao Li and Rui Zhao), Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2011, 46, 59-82.
16. “What Does the Individual Option Volatility Smirk Tell Us About Future Equity Returns?”
(with Yuhang Xing and Rui Zhao),
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2010, 45, 641-662.
17. “Evaluating Asset Pricing Models Using the Second Hansen-Jagannathan Distance”
(with Haitao Li and Yuewu Xu), Journal of Financial Economics, 2010, 97, 279-301.
18. “International Stock Return Comovements” (with Geert Bekaert and Robert Hodrick),
Journal of Finance, 2009, 64, 2591-2626.
19. “High Idiosyncratic Volatility and Low Returns：International and Further U.S. Evidence”
(with Andrew Ang, Robert Hodrick, and Yuhang Xing),
Journal of Financial Economics, 2009, 91, 1-23.
20. “Which Shorts Are Informed?” (with Ekkehart Boehmer and Charles Jones),
Journal of Finance, lead article, 2008, 63, 491-527.
This paper won BSI Gamma Foundation Award,
and is one of the finalists for Smith-Breeden Award from JF.
22. “The Cross-Section of Volatility and Expected Returns”
(with Andrew Ang, Robert Hodrick, and Yuhang Xing),
Journal of Finance, 2006, 61, 259-299.
This paper is one of the 10 most cited papers in Journal of Finance since 2000.
22. “Specification Tests of International Asset Pricing Models”
Journal of International Money and Finance, 2006, 25, 275-307.
23. “Evaluating the Specification Errors of Asset Pricing Models” (with Robert Hodrick)
Journal of Financial Economics, 2001, 62, 327-376.
WORKING PAPERS
1. “The International Commonality of Idiosyncratic Variances” (with Geert Bekaert and Xue Wang)
This paper won Blackrock Prize for Best Paper.
2. “Multinational Corporations and Stock Returns: International Evidence” (with Yeejin Jang and Xue Wang)
3. “The China-U.S. Equity Valuation Gap” (with Geert Bekaert and Shuojia Ke)
4. “Variance Risk Premiums in Emerging Markets” (with Fang Qiao, Lai Xu and Hao Zhou)
5. “Finding Anomalies in China” (with Kewei Hou, and Fang Qiao)
6. “Uncertainty Resolution Before Earnings Announcements” (with Chao Gao and Grace Xing Hu)
7. “When Do Informed Short Sellers Trade? Evidence from Intraday Data and Implications for Informed Trading Models” (with Danqi Hu, and Charles M. Jones)
8. “The Rise of Reddit: How Social Media Affects Retail Investors and Short-sellers’ Roles in Price Discovery”
(with Danqi Hu, Charles M. Jones, and Valerie Zhang)
9. “When Price Discovery and Market Quality Are Most Needed: The Role of Retail Investors During Pandemic”
(with Charles M. Jones, and Xinran Zhang)
HONORS AND GRANTS
China NSF Grant, 2022.
Spängler-IQAM award for the Best Investments Paper published in Review of Finance, 2021.
Blackrock Prize for Best Paper, 2020.
CIFFP Best Paper Awards, 2019.
CFRC Best Paper Award, 2018.
China NSF Grant, 2017.
ETF Research Academy Award, 2014.
Top 40 (Business School Professors) Under 40, Fortune Magazine 2014.
Netspar Research Fellowship, 2013.
William F. Sharpe Award for the best paper published in JFQA, 2013.
Best Paper Award at16th Mitsui Finance Symposium, 2009.
Lamfalussy Fellowship from European Central Bank, 2007.
BSI Gamma Research Fund, 2003, 2005.
Whitecomb Faculty Research Fellow, Cornell University, 2005.
Q Group Research Fund, 2004.
Air Products Faculty Fellow, Cornell University, 2003.
Lehman Brothers Fellowship for Research Excellence in Finance, 2001.
Center for International Business Education Award, Columbia Business School, 2001.
Roger F. Murray Fellow, Columbia Business School, 1999-2001.
Columbia Business School Fellowship, 1997-2002.
CITATIONS AND DOWNLOADS
Web of Science: 3,869 citations
Google scholar citations: 13,853 citations
SSRN downloads: 46,570 downloads
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Conference Presentations, Discussions, Session Chair, Program Chair
American Finance Association Annual Conference, 2004-2016, 2018, 2020, 2022.
Western Finance Association Annual Conference, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007-2009, 2013, 2015, 2019-2022.
China International Conference in Finance, 2009-2022.
Summer Institute in Finance, 2012-2022.
China Finance Research Conference (program co-chair), 2017-2022.
China Fintech Research Conference (program co-chair), 2020-2022.
SFS Cavalcade Conferences, 2017-2022.
RFS Fintech Conference, 2017-2018.
Hong Kong Finance Symposium, 2016.
Wabash River Finance Conference (program chair), 2011, 2015.
Financing Economics and Accounting Annual Conference, 2005.
BSI Gamma Foundation Annual Conference, 2005.
European Finance Association Annual Conference, 2001, 2004.
Campus Presentations
2001: New York University.
2002: Cornell University, Pennsylvania State University, Rice University, Emory University, University of Washington, University of Southern California, Ohio State University, University of Rochester, University of Iowa, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario, University of Rochester.
2003: Duke University, University of Rochester.
2004: University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Chinese University, Hong Kong Science and Technology University.
2005: University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, SUNY at Binghamton, University of Toronto.
2008: University of Washington, University of Colorado, Georgia State University.
2009: Purdue University, Boston College, UT at Dallas, Indiana University, UC Riverside, University of Maryland, University of Houston, University of Wisconsin at Madison.
2011: University of Georgia, University of Hawaii, George Mason University.
2012: Manchester Business School, University of Reading, Syracuse University, Singapore Management University, Nanyang Business School.
2013: Georgetown University, University of Massachusetts, University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Tilburg University, Erasmus University, University of Maastricht.
2014: Tsinghua University, University of Sydney, Australian National University, University of New South Wales, Tsinghua University.
2015: University of Illinois at UC, Zhejiang University, Renmin University.
2017: Temple University, Miami University, University of Oregon.
2019: University of North Carolina, University of Georgia, Georgia Tech University, Baruch College, Hong Kong University, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore Management University.
2020: Shanghai Stock Exchange.
2021: Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai Stock Exchange.
2022: University of Iowa, Northeast University of Finance and Economics.
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
American Finance Association, Western Finance Association.
Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, Review of Financial Studies, American Economic Review, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Management Science, Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Journal of Empirical Finance, Journal of Banking and Finance, Journal of Business and Economic Statistics, Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control
TEACHING
MBA Courses Derivatives, Risk Management
PHD Courses Empirical Asset Pricing
Executive Courses Global Capital Market
Recognition Nominated for the Apple Teaching Award, 2006-2009
Distinguished Teacher Award, 2010-2016
Tsinghua University Teaching Award, 2018-2019, 2021.
UNIVERSITY SERVICE
Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University
Finance Recruiting Committee, 2004-2006.
New Course Approval Committee, 2007-2009.
Finance Workshop organizer, 2004, 2008.
Ph.D. Thesis Committees: Hadiye Aslan, Yuan Gao, Sean McFadden, Oguzhan Vicil, Lanyue Zhou, Nazrul Alam.
Krannert Graduate School of Management, Purdue University
Finance Group Head, 2015, 2016.
Finance Recruiting Committee, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
Finance Area Funding Committee, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
Management Policy Committee, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
Management Executive Committee, 2015, 2016.
Ph.D. Thesis Committees: Mihai Ion, Steve Sibley, Yanchu Wang, Xue Wang.
PBC School of Finance, Tsinghua University
PH.D. Program Director, 2018-present.
Associate Dean, 2018-present.
Recruiting Committee, 2017-2022.
Promotion Committee, 2017-2022.
Ph.D. Thesis Committees: Xinran Zhang, Shuojia Ke, Huimin Ge, Teng Ma, Zijian Zhang.
Post-Doc Students: Fang Qiao, Hui Zhao, Huihang Wu, Zhiyong Li.
SELECTED MEDIA COVERAGE
China’s Digital Currency Revolution, Biz Talk, CGTN, June 8, 2021.
Why China Banned Cryptocurrencies but Backs Digital Yuan, Global Business, CGTN, May 24, 2021.
Digital Ecosystem Leading a Global Recovery, Sina Finance, May 22, 2021.
The Future of Digital Economy, PHOENIX TV, September 14, 2020.
Rational Investment during the Pandemic, Sina Finance, May 16, 2020.
Fund Watch, CNR, November 7, 2020.
How to Help Individual Investors Make Money? Opportunities for Institutions, Financial Times, May 15, 2020.
Enriching Ordinary People’s Investment through Fintech, Sina Finance, October 21, 2019.
Fintech Needs to Settle Down and Do Better in the Underlying Technology, National Business Daily, May 25, 2019.
Fintech Development in China, CGTN, January, 2019.
Financial Innovations Empowered by Technology Advancements, Sina Finance, December 13, 2018.
Promoting Financial Inclusiveness via Fintech, Sohu Finance, November 12, 2018.
Short-Selling Ban: Policy Failure or Success? Wall Street Journal, June 16, 2009.
CNBC News TV Interview, September 17, 2007.
What SAT Scores Say About Your Hedge Fund, New York Times, September 9, 2007.
Better Educated, Greener Hedgies Are Best, Institutional Investor, August 16, 2007.
