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Discretion in bank loan loss allowance, risk taking and earnings management

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  • Justin Jin
  • Kiridaran Kanagaretnam
  • Gerald J. Lobo

Abstract

We study whether banks use the allowance for loan losses (ALL) for efficiency or for opportunistic reasons. We find that banks that had higher abnormal ALL during the period prior to the 2007–2009 crisis engaged in less risk taking during the pre‐crisis period and had a lower probability of failure during the crisis period. In testing earnings management to meet or beat earnings benchmarks, we find that abnormal ALL is unrelated to next period's loss avoidance and just meeting or beating the prior year's earnings. Our results suggest that banks use ALL for efficiency and not for opportunistic purposes.

Suggested Citation

  • Justin Jin & Kiridaran Kanagaretnam & Gerald J. Lobo, 2018. "Discretion in bank loan loss allowance, risk taking and earnings management," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(1), pages 171-193, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:58:y:2018:i:1:p:171-193
    DOI: 10.1111/acfi.12210
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tran, Arthur M. & Griffiths, Mark D. & Winters, Drew B., 2023. "Small bank managers are prudent: A Benford’s Law approach to analyzing loan loss allowances," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 125.
    2. Ozili, Peterson K, 2020. "Bank loan loss provisioning during election years: cross-country evidence," MPRA Paper 96639, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Dal Maso, Lorenzo & Kanagaretnam, Kiridaran & Lobo, Gerald J. & Mazzi, Francesco, 2020. "Is accounting enforcement related to risk-taking in the banking industry?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    4. García Osma, Beatriz & Mora, Araceli & Porcuna-Enguix, Luis, 2019. "Prudential supervisors’ independence and income smoothing in European banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 156-176.
    5. Vo, Nguyen Ngoc Thao & Nguyen, Thai Vu Hong & Phan, Duc Hong Thi, 2022. "Earnings management and bank risk-taking behavior in Asia-Pacific region," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Chih‐Wei Wang & Jing‐Yu Peng, 2021. "The impact of internal and external factors on the relationship between information opacity and open‐market repurchases," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(3), pages 4085-4118, September.
    7. Qing L. Burke & Terry D. Warfield, 2021. "Bank interest rate risk management and valuation of earnings," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(3), pages 4287-4337, September.
    8. Akhtaruzzaman, Md & Chiah, Mardy & Docherty, Paul & Zhong, Angel, 2021. "Betting against bank profitability," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 304-323.
    9. Salem, Rami & Usman, Muhammad & Ezeani, Ernest, 2021. "Loan loss provisions and audit quality: Evidence from MENA Islamic and conventional banks," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 345-359.
    10. Anagnostopoulos, Yiannis & Husa, Kjetil A. & Noikokyris, Emmanouil, 2022. "A three-phase comparative efficiency analysis of US and EU banks," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 113-127.
    11. Roshanthi Dias, 2021. "Capital regulation and bank risk‐taking – new global evidence," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(1), pages 847-884, March.

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