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How Cyclical Is Bank Capital?

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  • Joseph G. Haubrich

Abstract

The alleged pro-cyclicality of bank capital (high in good times, low in bad) has received some blame for the recent financial crisis. Others blame the countercyclicality of capital regulations: too low in high times and too high in bad. To address this problem, Basel III has introduced countercyclical capital buffers for large banks. But just how cyclical is bank capital? We look at the question from several vantage points, using both detailed recent data on risk-weighted assets and several sources of annual data going back to 1834. To help understand the historical data, we provide a short summary of capital concepts and regulation from early America to the present.

Suggested Citation

  • Joseph G. Haubrich, 2015. "How Cyclical Is Bank Capital?," Working Papers (Old Series) 1504, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedcwp:1504
    DOI: 10.26509/frbc-wp-201504r1
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    Cited by:

    1. PJ Elliott, 2021. "Banking Trends: How and Why Bank Capital Ratios Change Over the Business Cycle," Economic Insights, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, vol. 6(1), pages 17-22, March.
    2. PJ Elliott, 2021. "Banking Trends: How and Why Bank Capital Ratios Change Over the Business Cycle," Banking Trends, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, March.
    3. Václav Brož & Lukáš Pfeifer, 2021. "Are risk weights of banks in the Czech Republic procyclical? Evidence from wavelet analysis," Journal of Central Banking Theory and Practice, Central bank of Montenegro, vol. 10(1), pages 113-139.
    4. Ryan Michaels, 2021. "Isolating the Effect of State Business Closure Orders on Employment," Economic Insights, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, vol. 6(1), pages 8-16, March.
    5. Phurichai Rungcharoenkitkul & Claudio Borio & Piti Disyatat Author-X-Name_First: Piti, 2019. "Monetary policy hysteresis and the financial cycle," BIS Working Papers 817, Bank for International Settlements.
    6. Wenli Li, 2021. "The Graying of Household Debt in the U.S," Economic Insights, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, vol. 6(1), pages 2-7, March.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • 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
    • N20 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - General, International, or Comparative

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