Finance Journals

Finance journals can be useful reading for finance professionals interested in research that is going on in their discipline, as well as for students studying for a finance degree. Many members of the financial academic community also publish papers in these journals to become known in their field. Most universities, colleges, and business schools should carry copies of the most prestigious of these journals. They are also available for subscription and reading over the Internet.

Following is a list of some of the major finance journals:

Journal of Financial Economics - This is a peer-reviewed academic journal covering the theory of financial economics. It is considered to be among the top three financial journals in the world and is one of those used by the Financial Times to compile its business school research rankings. Its primary emphasis is on high quality analytical, empirical, and clinical contributions to the areas of capital markets, financial institutions, corporate finance, corporate governance, and the economics of organizations. Some of its recent articles include, 'Liquidity and Valuation in an Uncertain World,' 'Short Selling in Initial Public Offerings,' and 'Why Do Firms Appoint CEOs as Outside Directors?'
Journal of Finance - The official publication of the American Finance Association, this journal is also one of the three most prestigious international financial journals. It reaches over 8,000 academics, finance professionals, libraries, governments, and financial institutions around the world and is one of the most widely cited academic journals of finance, as well as in all of economics. It publishes research among all the major fields of financial study. Samples of its recent articles are, 'Have Individual Stocks Become More Volatile?' , 'How Big Are the Tax Benefits of Debt?' and 'What Makes Investors Trade?'
The Review of Financial Studies - This journal is the flagship publication of the Society of Financial Studies and rounds out the list of the top three financial journals in the world. It publishes a mixture of theoretical and empirical articles based on quality and importance to the field of finance, such as 'Does Competition Reduce the Risk of Bank Failures?' and 'When Shareholders Are Creditors: Effects of the Simultaneous Holding of Equity and Debt by Non-Commercial Banking Institutions.'

Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis - This journal publishes theoretical and empirical research in financial economics, covering topics such as corporate finance, capital and security markets, investments, and quantitative methods considered particularly relevant to financial researchers. Samples of recent articles include, 'Trading Volume in Dealer Markets' and 'The Economic Role of Jumps and Recovery Rates in the Market for Corporate Default Risk.'
The Quarterly Journal of Economics - This journal is the oldest professional journal of economics in the English language, beginning publication in 1886. Edited by Harvard University's Department of Economics, it covers all aspects of economic research, including its traditional emphasis on microtheory as well as theoretical and empirical macroeconomics. Recent articles include, 'Sex and Science: How Professor Gender Perpetuates the Gender Gap' and 'Counterparty Risk in Financial Contracts: Should the Insured Worry About the Insurer?'
The Journal of Political Economy - Also one of the older economic journals in the country (since 1892), this journal publishes studies in areas such as monetary theory, fiscal policy, labor economics, micro- and macroeconomic theory, international trade and finance, and social economics. Some of its recent articles include, 'The Macroeconomic Implications of Rising Wage Inequality in the United States' and 'Explaining the Favorite-Long Shot Bias: Is It Risk-Love or Misperceptions?'
Financial Analysts Journal - This journal seeks to advance the knowledge and understanding of investment management practice through its research articles, such as the recent 'Opportunities for Patient Investors.'