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Target setting and Allocative Inefficiency in Lending: Evidence from Two Chinese Banks

Author

Listed:
  • Yiming Cao

    (Boston University)

  • Raymond Fisman

    (Boston University and NBER)

  • Hui Lin

    (Nanjing University)

  • Yongxiang Wang

    (University of Southern California)

Abstract

We study the consequences of month-end lending incentives for Chinese bank managers. Using data from two banks, one state-owned and the other partially privatized, we show a clear increase in lending in the final days of each month, resulting from both more loan issuance and higher value per loan. We estimate that daily lending is 92 percent higher in the last 5 days of each month as a result of loan targets, with only a small amount plausibly attributable to shifting loans forward from the following month. End-of-month loans are 1.6 percentage points (12 percent) more likely to be classified as bad in the years following issuance relative to mid-month loans. Our work highlights the distortionary effects of target-setting on capital allocation, in a context in which such concerns have risen to particular prominence in recent years.

Suggested Citation

  • Yiming Cao & Raymond Fisman & Hui Lin & Yongxiang Wang, 2018. "Target setting and Allocative Inefficiency in Lending: Evidence from Two Chinese Banks," Boston University - Department of Economics - The Institute for Economic Development Working Papers Series dp-321, Boston University - Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bos:iedwpr:dp-321
    as

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    File URL: http://www.bu.edu/econ/files/2019/05/Creditboom_rf13.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Hanming Fang & Chang Liu & Li-An Zhou, 2020. "Window Dressing in the Public Sector: A Case Study of China’s Compulsory Education Promotion Program," NBER Working Papers 27628, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Yi Huang & Marco Pagano & Ugo Panizza, 2020. "Local Crowding‐Out in China," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(6), pages 2855-2898, December.
    3. Gu, Leilei & Peng, Yuchao & Vigne, Samuel A. & Wang, Yizhi, 2023. "Hidden costs of non-green performance? The impact of air pollution awareness on loan rates for Chinese firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 213(C), pages 233-250.
    4. Fan, Haichao & Peng, Yuchao & Wang, Huanhuan & Xu, Zhiwei, 2021. "Greening through finance?," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital allocation; incentive design; Chinese banking;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • M52 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Personnel Economics - - - Compensation and Compensation Methods and Their Effects

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