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Large Excess Reserves in the United States: A View from the Cross-Section of Banks

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  • Huberto M. Ennis

    (Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond)

  • Alexander L. Wolman

    (Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond)

Abstract

Bank reserves in the United States increased dramatically at the end of 2008. Subsequent asset purchase programs in 2009 and 2011 more than doubled the quantity of reserves outstanding. We study the cross-sectional distribution of reserves in that period, and the relationship between holdings of reserves and other components of banks’ balance sheets. We find that reserves were widely distributed, increasing the liquidity position of many banks which, at the same time, were far from facing tight capital constraints. Our findings have implications for assessing the importance of large quantities of excess reserves for monetary policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Huberto M. Ennis & Alexander L. Wolman, 2015. "Large Excess Reserves in the United States: A View from the Cross-Section of Banks," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 11(1), pages 251-289, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:ijc:ijcjou:y:2015:q:1:a:8
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    Cited by:

    1. Ricardo Reis, 2016. "Funding Quantitative Easing to Target Inflation," Discussion Papers 1626, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    2. Chetan Dave & Scott J. Dressler & Lei Zhang, 2020. "Bank Lending, Monetary Policy Transmission, and Interest on Excess Reserves: a FAVAR Analysis," Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics Working Paper Series 44, Villanova School of Business Department of Economics and Statistics.
    3. Jens H. E. Christensen & Signe Krogstrup, 2022. "A Portfolio Model of Quantitative Easing," Quarterly Journal of Finance (QJF), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 12(04), pages 1-39, December.
    4. Ellen Ryan & Karl Whelan, 2023. "A Model of QE, Reserve Demand, and the Money Multiplier," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 55(2-3), pages 407-439, March.
    5. Albertazzi, Ugo & Barbiero, Francesca & Marqués-Ibáñez, David & Popov, Alexander & Rodriguez d’Acri, Costanza & Vlassopoulos, Thomas, 2020. "Monetary policy and bank stability: the analytical toolbox reviewed," Working Paper Series 2377, European Central Bank.
    6. Antoine Martin & James McAndrews & David Skeie, 2016. "Bank Lending in Times of Large Bank Reserves," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 12(4), pages 193-222, December.
    7. Bratsiotis, George, 2018. "Credit Risk, Excess Reserves and Monetary Policy: The Deposits Channel," EconStor Preprints 172770, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, revised 2018.
    8. Skander Van den Heuvel, 2019. "The Welfare Effects of Bank Liquidity and Capital Requirements," 2019 Meeting Papers 325, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    9. Demiralp, Selva & Eisenschmidt, Jens & Vlassopoulos, Thomas, 2021. "Negative interest rates, excess liquidity and retail deposits: Banks’ reaction to unconventional monetary policy in the euro area," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    10. Pavon-Prado, David, 2022. "The cost of excess reserves and inflation in the United States during the last century," MPRA Paper 112797, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Jens H E Christensen & Signe Krogstrup, 2019. "Transmission of Quantitative Easing: The Role of Central Bank Reserves," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 129(617), pages 249-272.
    12. Hoffmann, Peter & Sigaux, Jean-David, 2020. "Determinants of excess reserve holdings," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    13. Stephen Matteo Miller & Blake Hoarty, 2021. "On regulation and excess reserves: The case of Basel III," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 44(2), pages 215-247, June.
    14. Felix P. Ackon & Huberto M. Ennis, 2017. "The Fed's Discount Window: An Overview of Recent Data," Economic Quarterly, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, issue Q1-Q4, pages 37-79.
    15. George J. Bratsiotis, 2018. "Credit Risk, Excess Reserves and Monetary Policy: The Deposits," Centre for Growth and Business Cycle Research Discussion Paper Series 236, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    16. Reis, Ricardo, 2016. "Funding quantitative easing to target inflation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 67883, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    17. John Kandrac & Bernd Schlusche, 2017. "Quantitative Easing and Bank Risk Taking: Evidence from Lending," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2017-125, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    18. Todd Keister & Antoine Martin & James J. McAndrews, 2015. "Floor systems and the Friedman rule: the fiscal arithmetic of open market operations," Staff Reports 754, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    19. Elizabeth C. Klee & Zeynep Senyuz & Emre Yoldas, 2016. "Effects of Changing Monetary and Regulatory Policy on Overnight Money Markets," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2016-084, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    20. Miller, Steph & Hoarty, Blake, 2020. "On Regulation and Excess Reserves: The Case of Basel III," Working Papers 10243, George Mason University, Mercatus Center.
    21. Paul D. Mueller & Joshua Wojnilower, 2016. "The Federal Reserve's Floor System: Immediate Gain for Remote Pain?," Journal of Private Enterprise, The Association of Private Enterprise Education, vol. 31(Summer 20), pages 15-40.
    22. Hogan, Thomas L., 2021. "Bank lending and interest on excess reserves: An empirical investigation," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    23. John Kandrac & Bernd Schlusche, 2021. "Quantitative Easing and Bank Risk Taking: Evidence from Lending," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 53(4), pages 635-676, June.
    24. J. Christina Wang, 2017. "Banks' search for yield in the low interest rate environment: a tale of regulatory adaptation," Working Papers 17-3, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies

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