Igor Cunha, Ph.D.

William B. Sturgill Associate Professor of Finance, Director - MS Finance Program

Education

• Ph.D., Univ Of Illinois - Urbana, 2013
• M.S., Univ Of Illinois - Urbana, 2008
• B.S., Univ Of Sao Paulo, 2007

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Igor Cunha is the William B. Sturgill Associate Professor of Finance. He holds a PhD in Finance and an MS in Economics from the University of Illinois. Prior to joining the Gatton College of Business and Economics, he was an Assistant Professor of Finance at Nova School of Business and Economics in Lisbon, Portugal. Professor Cunha’s research examines how financial frictions affect municipalities' and corporations' ability to finance their activities and how these constraints shape public spending, economic activity, and corporate investment. His research appears in leading finance journals, including the Journal of Finance and the Review of Financial Studies.

Teaching Expertise:

• International Finance

Research Expertise:

• Municipal Finance
• Corporate Finance
• Credit Markets and Credit Ratings
• Public Finance
• Financial Frictions and Investment
• Municipal Debt and Capital Markets
• Monetary Policy and Credit Transmission
• Political Economy in Finance

Selected Publications:

• The Real Effects of Credit Ratings: The Sovereign Ceiling Channel
  Heitor Almeida, Igor Cunha, Miguel A. Ferreira, and Felipe Restrepo
  The Journal of Finance, 72(1), 249–290, 2017.
• The Economic Effects of Public Financing: Evidence from Municipal Bond Ratings Recalibration
  Manuel Adelino, Igor Cunha, and Miguel A. Ferreira
  The Review of Financial Studies, 30(9), 3223–3268, 2017.
• Why Do Firms Hold Cash? Evidence from Demographic Demand Shifts
  Igor Cunha and Joshua Pollet
  The Review of Financial Studies, 33(9), 4102–4138, 2020.
• Do Credit Rating Agencies Influence Elections?
  Igor Cunha, Miguel A. Ferreira, and Rui C. Silva
  Review of Finance, 26(4), 937–969, 2022.