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An examination of bank behavior around Federal Reserve stress tests

Author

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  • Cornett, Marcia Millon
  • Minnick, Kristina
  • Schorno, Patrick J.
  • Tehranian, Hassan

Abstract

Examining bank behavior around Federal Reserve stress tests, we find that stress test banks increase capital ratios at the starting point for annual stress testing significantly more than non-stress test banks. These trends are completely reversed (and economically significant) in the other quarters. Further, the differences between stress test and non-stress test banks seen in stress test years do not occur in 2010, when the Fed did not conduct a stress test. Results show that, as they enter the stress test, stress test banks lower dividends significantly more than non-stress test banks. Finally, stress test banks spend significantly more on lobbying than non-stress test banks. The results suggest that stress test banks may be managing financial performance and investing in political spending to improve their chances of passing stress tests.

Suggested Citation

  • Cornett, Marcia Millon & Minnick, Kristina & Schorno, Patrick J. & Tehranian, Hassan, 2020. "An examination of bank behavior around Federal Reserve stress tests," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinin:v:41:y:2020:i:c:s1042957318300330
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfi.2018.05.001
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    2. Baik, Hyeoncheol & Han, Sumin & Joo, Sunghoon & Lee, Kangbok, 2022. "A bank's optimal capital ratio: A time-varying parameter model to the partial adjustment framework," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    3. Kasim Ahmed & Giovanni Calice, 2023. "The effects of supervisory stress testing on bank lending: examining large UK banks," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(2), pages 228-247, June.
    4. Böhnke, Victoria & Ongena, Steven & Paraschiv, Florentina & Reite, Endre J., 2023. "Back to the roots of internal credit risk models: Does risk explain why banks' risk-weighted asset levels converge over time?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    5. Lambertini, Luisa & Mukherjee, Abhik, 2022. "Stress tests and loan pricing—Evidence from syndicated loans," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PA).
    6. García, Raffi E. & Steele, Suzanne, 2022. "Stress testing and bank business patterns: A regression discontinuity study," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 135(C).
    7. Luu, Hiep Ngoc & Vo, Xuan Vinh, 2021. "The Impact of Supervisory Stress Tests on Bank Ex-Ante Risk-Taking Behaviour: Empirical Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    8. Pliszka, Kamil, 2021. "System-wide and banks' internal stress tests: Regulatory requirements and literature review," Discussion Papers 19/2021, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    9. Benoit d’Udekem, 2021. "Agency Conflicts and Dividend Persistence," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 60(2), pages 207-234, December.
    10. Raymond Kim, 2024. "Hedging securities and Silicon Valley Bank idiosyncrasies," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(4), pages 653-672, April.
    11. Allen N. Berger & Felix Irresberger & Raluca A. Roman, 2020. "Bank Size and Household Financial Sentiment: Surprising Evidence from University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(S1), pages 149-191, October.
    12. Thomas Schneider & Philip E Strahan & Jun Yang, 2023. "Bank Stress Testing: Public Interest or Regulatory Capture?," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(2), pages 423-467.
    13. Nguyen, Thach Vu Hong & Ahmed, Shamim & Chevapatrakul, Thanaset & Onali, Enrico, 2020. "Do stress tests affect bank liquidity creation?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    14. Gong, Di & Huizinga, Harry & Li, Tianshi & Zhu, Jigao, 2023. "Goodhart’s law in China: Bank branching regulation and window dressing," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    15. Tripathy, Niranjan & Wu, Da & Zheng, Yi, 2021. "Dividends and financial health: Evidence from U.S. bank holding companies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial institutions; Stress testing; Federal Reserve; Political lobbying;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • D72 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Political Processes: Rent-seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior

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