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Sovereign debt holdings and banks’ credit risk: Evidence from the Eurozone

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  • Abinzano, Isabel
  • Corredor, Pilar
  • Mansilla-Fernández, José Manuel

Abstract

This paper investigates the direct effect of sovereign debt holding on banks’ credit risk. Using individual Eurozone listed banks’ information, we find that holding sovereign debt improves the level of banks’ credit risk, but this effect is reversed when the credit risk associated with such debt is taken into account. For this purpose, we consider three alternative sovereign debt holding proxies and two types of banks’ credit-risk measures, both forward- and backward-looking. We find that the transmission of credit risk from sovereign debt holdings to banks’ credit risk is only captured when forward-looking credit-risk measures, based on market data, are used.

Suggested Citation

  • Abinzano, Isabel & Corredor, Pilar & Mansilla-Fernández, José Manuel, 2022. "Sovereign debt holdings and banks’ credit risk: Evidence from the Eurozone," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:47:y:2022:i:pa:s154461232100502x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2021.102600
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bank credit-risk; Sovereign debt; Eurozone banks; Dynamic panel data;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • H63 - Public Economics - - National Budget, Deficit, and Debt - - - Debt; Debt Management; Sovereign Debt

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