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Do Strict Regulators Increase the Transparency of Banks?

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  • ANNA M. COSTELLO
  • JOÃO GRANJA
  • JOSEPH WEBER

Abstract

We investigate the role that regulatory strictness plays on the enforcement of financial reporting transparency in the U.S. banking industry. Using a novel measure of regulatory strictness in the enforcement of capital adequacy, we show that strict regulators are more likely to enforce restatements of banks' call reports. Further, we find that the effect of regulatory strictness on accounting enforcement is strongest in periods leading up to economic downturns and for banks with riskier asset portfolios. Overall, the results from our study indicate that regulatory oversight plays an important role in enforcing financial reporting transparency, particularly in periods leading up to economic crises. We interpret this evidence as inconsistent with the idea that strict bank regulators put significant weight on concerns about the potential destabilizing effects of accounting transparency.

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  • Anna M. Costello & João Granja & Joseph Weber, 2019. "Do Strict Regulators Increase the Transparency of Banks?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(3), pages 603-637, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:57:y:2019:i:3:p:603-637
    DOI: 10.1111/1475-679X.12255
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    Cited by:

    1. Berger, Allen N. & Cai, Jin & Roman, Raluca A. & Sedunov, John, 2022. "Supervisory enforcement actions against banks and systemic risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    2. Jiang Cheng & Travis Chow & Tzu‐Ting Lin & Jeffrey Ng, 2022. "The effect of accounting for income tax uncertainty on tax‐deductible loss accruals for private insurers," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 89(2), pages 505-544, June.
    3. John Gallemore, 2023. "Bank financial reporting opacity and regulatory intervention," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 28(3), pages 1765-1810, September.
    4. Gopalan, Yadav, 2022. "The effects of ratings disclosure by bank regulators," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1).
    5. Anya Kleymenova & Rimmy E. Tomy, 2022. "Observing Enforcement: Evidence from Banking," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1583-1633, September.
    6. Marco Maria Mattei & Petya Platikanova, 2023. "Enhancing bank transparency: Financial reporting quality, fraudulent peers and social capital," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(3), pages 3419-3454, September.
    7. Jannis Bischof & Ulf Brüggemann & Holger Daske, 2023. "Asset Reclassifications and Bank Recapitalization During the Financial Crisis," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 75-100, January.
    8. Wheeler, P. Barrett, 2019. "Loan loss accounting and procyclical bank lending: The role of direct regulatory actions," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 463-495.
    9. Yang, Ling, 2022. "An information quality-based explanation for loan loss allowance inadequacy during the 2008 financial crisis," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(1).
    10. Bischof, Jannis & Foos, Daniel & Riepe, Jan, 2020. "Does greater transparency discipline the loan loss provisioning of privately held banks?," Discussion Papers 40/2020, Deutsche Bundesbank.
    11. Bischof, Jannis & Laux, Christian & Leuz, Christian, 2020. "Accounting for financial stability: Lessons from the financial crisis and future challenges," SAFE Working Paper Series 283, Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE.
    12. Yue, Heng & Zhang, Liandong & Zhong, Qinlin, 2022. "The politics of bank opacity," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2).
    13. Bischof, Jannis & Laux, Christian & Leuz, Christian, 2021. "Accounting for financial stability: Bank disclosure and loss recognition in the financial crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(3), pages 1188-1217.

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