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Regulatory capital and bank risk-resilience amid the Covid-19 pandemic: How are the Basel reforms faring?

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  • Anani, Makafui
  • Owusu, Felix

Abstract

In this paper, we address a long-standing policy question of whether higher levels of regulatory capital, ex-ante, makes banks risk-resilient in times of severe economic downturns. Using the Covid-19 crisis as an exogenous shock to the banking system in a difference-in-difference setting, the results indicate that banks with robust pre-crisis regulatory capital ratios are less risky (have a lower insolvency risk) relative to less-capitalized banks amid the crisis period. Further analyses provides evidence consistent with the presence of a potential credit supply channel. Overall, the results suggests that the post 2007-09 Basel reforms have succeeded, to some extent, in strengthening the risk-resilience of banks during the Covid-19 economic fallout.

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  • Anani, Makafui & Owusu, Felix, 2023. "Regulatory capital and bank risk-resilience amid the Covid-19 pandemic: How are the Basel reforms faring?," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:52:y:2023:i:c:s154461232200767x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2022.103591
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Bellucci & Gianluca Gucciardi, 2023. "A Turning Point for Banking: Unravelling the Changing Landscape of Banking Activity in Europe since the COVID-19 pandemic," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 183, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    2. Polina Popova, 2024. "COVID-19, Corporate Non-performing Loans, and Corporate Lending Dynamics: Evidence from Russian Regions," HSE Working papers WP BRP 93/FE/2024, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Covid-19; Regulatory capital; Basel reforms; Bank insolvency risk; Government support;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • 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

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