Shawn Thomas
Professor of Business Administration H.J. Heinz Faculty Fellow

Contact

246 Mervis Hall
shthomas@katz.pitt.edu
412-648-1648
Personal Website

Profile

Shawn Thomas is a Professor of Finance and the H.J. Heinz Faculty Fellow at the Katz Graduate School of Business. Professor Thomas’ research interests include corporate finance, internal firm organization, and the industrial organization of vertical markets. He has published in the Journal of Finance, the Journal of Financial Economics, the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, the Journal of Business, the Journal of Corporate Finance, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, and the Journal of Accounting Research. He is a member of the American Finance Association, American Economic Association, Western Finance Association, Financial Management Association, Midwestern Finance Association, and the Finance, Organizations and Markets Research Group. Professor Thomas joined the finance faculty in 1999 after earning a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Florida. From 1991 to 1994, Professor Thomas was a bank examiner for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Professional Service

  • Editor, Financial Management, 2022-present
  • Associate Editor, International Review of Finance, 2014-2022

Courses Recently Taught

Doctoral

  • BFIN 3000 Finance Fundamentals
  • BFIN 3034: Corporate Finance Seminar 3

Undergraduate

  • BUSFIN 1311 Corporate Finance

Awards and Honors

  • Katz Excellence in Teaching Award 2014-2015, 2018-2019, 2021-2022
  • Katz Excellence in Teaching Award 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2010-2011, 2011-2012
  • Katz Excellence in Research Award 2011-2012, 2016-2017
  • CBA Teacher of the Year Award 2012
  • CBA Teacher of the Year Award 2011
  • CBA Best Teaching in the Finance Major Award 2011
  • CBA Teacher of the Year Award 2008-2009
  • CBA Best Teaching in the Finance Major Award 2009-2010
  • CBA Best Teaching in the Finance Major Award 2008-2009
  • CBA Teacher of the Year Award 2007-2008
  • CBA Best Teaching in the Finance Major Award 2007-2008
  • Grinter Fellowship, University of Florida, 1994-1997
  • Graduate Summa Cum Laude, West Virginia University, 1991
  • Initiate of Beta Gamma Sigma, West Virginia University, 1990

Degrees

  • PhD in Finance, University of Florida
  • BS in Finance, West Virginia University

Recent Publications

“Common Ownership and Competition in Product Markets” with Andrew Koch and Marios Panayides. Journal of Financial Economics, 2021, Vol. 139, pp. 109-137.

“Playing Favorites? Industry Expert Directors in Diversified Firms” with Jesse Ellis and C. Edward Fee. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2018, Vol. 53, pp. 1,679-1,714.

“Cash Reserves as a Hedge Against Supply-Chain Risk” with Manoj Kulchania. Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2017, Vol. 52, pp. 1951-1988.

“The timing and source of long-run returns following repurchases” with Leonce Bargeron and Alice Bonaime, Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 2017, Vol. 52, pp. 491-517.

“Not All Related Party Transactions (RPTs) Are the Same: Ex-Ante vs. Ex-Post RPTs” with Michael Ryngaert, Journal of Accounting Research, 2012, Vol. 50, pp. 845-882.

“Proprietary Costs and the Disclosure of Information about Customers” with Jesse Ellis and C. Edward Fee, Journal of Accounting Research, 2012, Vol. 50, pp. 685-727.

“Accelerated Share Repurchases” with Leonce Bargeron and Manoj Kulchania, Journal of Financial Economics, 2011, Vol. 101, pp. 69-89.  

“Financial Leverage and Bargaining Power with Suppliers: Evidence from Leveraged Buyouts” with David T. Brown and C. Edward Fee, Journal of Corporate Finance, 2009, Vol. 15, pp. 196-211.

“Corporate Equity Ownership and the Governance of Product Market Relationships” with C. Edward Fee and Charles Hadlock, Journal of Finance, 2006, Vol. 61, pp. 1217-1251.

“Sources of Gains in Horizontal Mergers: Evidence from Customer, Supplier, and Rival Firms” with C. Edward Fee, Journal of Financial Economics, 2004, Vol. 74, pp. 423-460.

“Corporate Diversification and Asymmetric Information: Evidence from Stock Market Trading Characteristics” with C. Edward Fee, Journal of Corporate Finance, 2004, Vol. 10, pp. 105-129.

“Firm Diversification and Asymmetric Information: Evidence from Analysts’ Forecasts and Earnings Announcements” Journal of Financial Economics, 2002, Vol. 64, pp. 373-396.

“Corporate Structure and Equity Offerings: Are There Benefits to Diversification?” with Michael D. Ryngaert and Charles Hadlock, Journal of Business, 2001, Vol. 74, pp. 613-635.

“Bank Loan Loss Provisions: A Re-examination of Capital Management, Earnings Management, and Signaling Effects” with Anwer S. Ahmed and Carolyn Takeda, Journal of Accounting and Economics,1999, Vol. 28, pp. 1-25.

Academic Area

Finance