Default risk in bond and credit derivatives markets Due to the scarcity of reliable data the existing literature on default risk still displays an imbalance between theoretical and empirical contributions. Consequently the focus of this book is on empirical work. Within an intensity based modelling framework a broad range of promising specifications is tested using corporate bond data. The book provides one of the most comprehensive empirical studies in the field from Kalman filtration of affine term structure models to the use of Efficient Method of Moments estimation of dynamic term structure models in a default risky context. Filling another gap in empirical research the book devotes special attention to the identification factors that can explain credit default swap premia. TOC:Introduction. On the Economic Content of Models of Default Risk. Intensity based Modeling of Default. The Empirical Performance of Reduced Form Models of Default Risk. Explaining Credit Default Swap Premia. Conclusion