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Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title Leverage ratio, risk-based capital requirements, and risk-taking in the United Kingdom
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Mahmoud Fatouh
  • Simone Giansante
  • Steven Ongena
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title Financial markets, institutions & instruments
Publisher Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc.
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 0963-8008
Volume 33
Number 1
Page Range 31 - 60
Date 2024
Abstract Text We assess the impact of the leverage ratio capital requirements on the risk-taking behaviour of banks both theoretically and empirically. Conceptually, introducing binding leverage ratio requirements into a regulatory framework with risk-based capital requirements induces banks to re-optimise, shifting from safer to riskier assets (higher asset risk). Yet, this shift would not be one-for-one due to risk weight differences, meaning the shift would be associated with a lower level of leverage (lower insolvency risk). The interaction of these two changes determines the impact on the aggregate level of risk. Empirically, we use a difference-in-differences setup to compare the behaviour of UK banks subject to the leverage ratio requirements (LR banks) to otherwise similar banks (non-LR banks). Our results show that LR banks did not increase asset risk, and slightly reduced leverage levels, compared to the control group after the introduction of leverage ratio in the UK. As expected, these two changes led to a lower aggregate level of risk. Emperical results indicate that credit default swap spreads on the 5-year subordinated debt of LR banks decreased relative to non-LR banks post leverage ratio introduction, suggesting the market viewed LR banks as less risky, especially during the COVID 19 stress.
Free access at DOI
Digital Object Identifier 10.1111/fmii.12185
Other Identification Number merlin-id:24200
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Keywords Capital regulation, Finance, Leverage ratio, Risk-based requirements, Risk-taking