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U.S. Banking Sector Operational Losses and the Macroeconomic Environment

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  • AZAMAT ABDYMOMUNOV
  • FILIPPO CURTI
  • ATANAS MIHOV

Abstract

Using supervisory data from large U.S. bank holding companies (BHCs), we find that BHCs incur more operational losses in adverse macroeconomic conditions driven significantly by the higher frequency and severity of tail events. Among different operational risk types, we find that losses from BHCs' failure to meet obligations to clients or from the design of their products are particularly countercyclical. We also show that larger and more leveraged BHCs have a higher macroeconomic sensitivity of operational risk. Overall, our findings provide new evidence regarding U.S. banking organizations' exposure to macroeconomic shocks with implications for risk management practices and supervisory policy.

Suggested Citation

  • Azamat Abdymomunov & Filippo Curti & Atanas Mihov, 2020. "U.S. Banking Sector Operational Losses and the Macroeconomic Environment," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 52(1), pages 115-144, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jmoncb:v:52:y:2020:i:1:p:115-144
    DOI: 10.1111/jmcb.12661
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Sebastian Bautista & Alireza Ebrahim & Natalya Schenck, 2025. "Bank charter values and operational risk," Journal of Banking Regulation, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(2), pages 129-148, June.
    3. W. Scott Frame & Nika Lazaryan & Ping McLemore & Atanas Mihov, 2022. "Operational Loss Recoveries and the Macroeconomic Environment: Evidence from the U.S. Banking Sector," Working Papers 2215, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    4. Katerina Ivanov, 2021. "Credit Enhancement Mechanism in Loan Securitization and Its Implication to Systemic Risk," Discussion Paper Series 2021-01, McColl School of Business, Queens University of Charlotte.
    5. Filippo Curti & W. Scott Frame & Atanas Mihov, 2022. "Are the Largest Banking Organizations Operationally More Risky?," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 54(5), pages 1223-1259, August.
    6. Roc'io Paredes & Marco Vega, 2020. "An internal fraud model for operational losses in retail banking," Papers 2002.03235, arXiv.org.
    7. W. Scott Frame & Ping McLemore & Atanas Mihov, 2020. "Haste Makes Waste: Banking Organization Growth and Operational Risk," Working Papers 2023, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
    8. Cheng, Maoyong & Qu, Yang & Jiang, Chunxia & Zhao, Chenchen, 2022. "Is cloud computing the digital solution to the future of banking?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    9. Uddin, Md Hamid & Mollah, Sabur & Islam, Nazrul & Ali, Md Hakim, 2023. "Does digital transformation matter for operational risk exposure?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    10. Frame, W. Scott & Lazaryan, Nika & McLemore, Ping & Mihov, Atanas, 2024. "Operational loss recoveries and the macroeconomic environment: Evidence from the U.S. banking sector," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    11. Weidong Tian & Azamat Abdymomunov & Ibrahim Ergen, 2017. "Tail Dependence and Systemic Risk in Operational Losses of the US Banking Industry," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 17(2), pages 177-204, June.
    12. Kladakis, George & Lux, Nicole & Skouralis, Alexandros, 2025. "Exploring the non-linear dynamics between Commercial Real Estate and systemic risk," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    13. Allen N. Berger & Filippo Curti & Nika Lazaryan & Atanas Mihov & Raluca A. Roman, 2023. "Climate Risks in the U.S. Banking Sector: Evidence from Operational Losses and Extreme Storms," Working Papers 21-31, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    14. Clark, Brian & Ebrahim, Alireza, 2022. "Risk shifting and regulatory arbitrage: Evidence from operational risk," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    15. Berger, Allen N. & Curti, Filippo & Mihov, Atanas & Sedunov, John, 2022. "Operational Risk is More Systemic than You Think: Evidence from U.S. Bank Holding Companies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    16. Filippo Curti & Marco Migueis & Robert Stewart, . "Benchmarking operational risk stress testing models," Journal of Operational Risk, Journal of Operational Risk.
    17. Filippo Curti & Marco Migueis, 2016. "Predicting Operational Loss Exposure Using Past Losses," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2016-2, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    18. Filippo Curti & Marco Migueis, . "The information value of past losses in operational risk," Journal of Operational Risk, Journal of Operational Risk.
    19. Berlinger, Edina & Lilla Keresztúri, Judit & Lublóy, Ágnes & Vőneki Tamásné, Zsuzsanna, 2022. "Press freedom and operational losses: The monitoring role of the media," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    20. Azamat Abdymomunov & Filippo Curti, 2020. "Quantifying and Stress Testing Operational Risk with Peer Banks’ Data," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 57(3), pages 287-313, June.
    21. Chernobai, Anna & Ozdagli, Ali & Wang, Jianlin, 2021. "Business complexity and risk management: Evidence from operational risk events in U.S. bank holding companies," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 418-440.

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