Data Planet

This comprehensive and growing subscription database from SAGE Publishing is a repository of over 157 billion data points and 12.6 billion updated datasets from over 500 United States and international source providers and 80 vendors. This repository has aggregated and organized data from disparate, but authoritative, public, private, and commercial sources. The data is then transformed into a homogeneous library and informational product created with features, such as 37 metadata fields, to enhance organization and searchability. Subscribers, especially in the United States and in fields such as academia, business, and government and policy-making, can quickly access archived data using either one of two different powerful interfaces or alternatively, access data using the 287 hyperlinked Libguides or library guides and create Web pages of data called datasheets that serve as focal points for analyzing statistics of interest. Individuals are offered a variety of functions that assist with analyses and research, such as customizations, integrations, visualizations, and citing. For niche business research needs and for additional fees, the core resource can be bundled with any of the seven premium database products from high quality vendors. These databases include China Yearly Statistics, EASI Market Planner, InfoGroup Business USA, International Equities and Metals, Claritas Consumer Profiles, Claritas Financial and Insurance CLOUT™, and Quarterly Workforce Indicators.

Portfolio Diversification and International Corporate Bonds

This article examines the benefits of corporate bond diversification for U.S. investors. Analysis of a newly compiled bond-level data set for 2000–2010 finds that diversification with corporate bonds can significantly reduce volatility and increase risk-adjusted returns for U.S. investors. Unlike diversification with equities, corporate bonds offer significant out-of-sample risk reduction, particularly during the recent financial crisis. Risk-reduction gains are large even when the benchmark includes international equities or when longer samples of equities and sovereign bonds are used to inform corporate bond returns. Finally, significant risk-reduction gains remain after accounting for bond characteristics, liquidity, and informational costs.