Credit Cycles and Macro Fundamentals
Abstract
We study the relation between the credit cycle and macro economic fundamentals in an intensity based framework. Using rating transition and default data of U.S. corporates from Standard and Poor’s over the period 1980–2005 we directly estimate the credit cycle from the micro rating data. We relate this cycle to the business cycle, bank lending conditions, and financial market variables. In line with earlier studies, these variables appear to explain part of the credit cycle. As our main contribution, we test for the correct dynamic specification of these models. In all cases, the hypothesis of correct dynamic specification is strongly rejected. Moreover, accounting for dynamic mis-specification, many of the variables thought to explain the credit cycle, turn out to be insignificant. The main exceptions are GDP growth, and to some extent stock returns and stock return volatilities. Their economic significance appears low, however. This raises the puzzle of what macro-economic fundamentals explain default and rating dynamics.Download Info
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Paper provided by Center for Financial Studies in its series CFS Working Paper Series with number 2006/33.Length: 28 pages
Date of creation: 02 Jan 2007
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:cfs:cfswop:wp200633
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Keywords: Credit Cycles; Business Cycles; Bank Lending Conditions; Unobserved Component Models; Intensity Models; Monte Carlo Likelihood;Other versions of this item:
- Koopman, Siem Jan & Kräussl, Roman & Lucas, André & Monteiro, André B., 2009. "Credit cycles and macro fundamentals," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 42-54, January.
- Siem Jan Koopman & Roman Kraeussl & Andre Lucas & Andre Monteiro, 2006. "Credit Cycles and Macro Fundamentals," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 06-023/2, Tinbergen Institute.
- G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
- G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:
- NEP-ALL-2007-03-17 (All new papers)
- NEP-BEC-2007-03-17 (Business Economics)
References
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Citations
Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.Cited by:
- Adam Gersl & Petr Jakubik, 2010. "Procyclicality of the Financial System and Simulation of the Feedback Effect," Occasional Publications - Chapters in Edited Volumes, in: CNB Financial Stability Report 2009/2010, chapter 0, pages 110-119 Czech National Bank, Research Department.
- Narasimhan Jegadeesh & Roman Kräussl & Joshua Pollet, 2009. "Risk and Expected Returns of Private Equity Investments: Evidence Based on Market Prices," NBER Working Papers 15335, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
- Carlos Castro, 2012. "Confidence sets for asset correlations in portfolio credit risk," REVISTA DE ECONOMÍA DEL ROSARIO, UNIVERSIDAD DEL ROSARIO.
- Lee, Shih-Cheng & Lin, Chien-Ting & Yang, Chih-Kai, 2011. "The asymmetric behavior and procyclical impact of asset correlations," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 2559-2568, October.
- Kauko, Karlo, 2010. "The feasibility of through-the-cycle ratings," Research Discussion Papers 14/2010, Bank of Finland.
- Stefan Kerbl & Michael Sigmund, 2011. "What Drives Aggregate Credit Risk?," Financial Stability Report, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue 22, pages 72-87, December.
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