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Changes in Funding Patterns by Latin American Banking Systems: How Large? How Risky? - Working Paper 420

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  • Liliana Rojas-Suarez and José María Serena

    (Center for Global Development)

  • José María Serena

Abstract

This paper investigates the shifts in Latin American banks’ funding patterns in the post-global financial crisis period. To this end, we introduce a new measure of exposure of local banking systems to international debt markets that we term: International Debt Issuances by Locally Supervised Institutions. In contrast to well-known BIS measures, our new metric includes all entities that fall under the supervisory purview of the local authority. This is especially important in Latin America, where the participation of foreign banks that are established as independent, fully capitalized entities is most substantial. Using this metric we found that all types of Latin American banking groups significantly and sharply increased their issuance of external debt securities during 2010-14. Owing to the low ratios of banks’ external debt to total liabilities in the pre-crisis period, solid solvency ratios and improved supervisory capacity, the increase in banks’ external indebtedness did not result in financial difficulties, and by mid-2015 banking systems remained strong. However, a preliminary analysis of risks based on this new trend reveals the emergence of several signs of increased vulnerability. Firstly, in some banking groups (particularly in Brazilian banks, domestic and foreign alike) the increased issuance of external debt was accompanied by a greater reliance on wholesale funding. In contrast, reliance on wholesale funding by Colombian banks remained low and stable. Secondly, rollover risks have significantly increased for Latin American banking groups. Maturing debt, which increased significantly in 2013-14, will continue at high levels in 2015-16 in the context of major uncertainties in international capital markets. This risk is especially noticeable in Brazil and Chile, whose ratios of maturing debt to total debt are high. Thirdly, in spite of a sizeable accumulation of international reserves, the large increase in banks’ external debt might have contributed to reducing the resilience of central banks to deal with severe adverse shocks.

Suggested Citation

  • Liliana Rojas-Suarez and José María Serena & José María Serena, 2015. "Changes in Funding Patterns by Latin American Banking Systems: How Large? How Risky? - Working Paper 420," Working Papers 420, Center for Global Development.
  • Handle: RePEc:cgd:wpaper:420
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    Cited by:

    1. Carmela D’Avino & Eric Girardin & Mimoza Shabani, 2022. "Bank liquidity creation: A new global dataset for developing and emerging countries," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 158(2), pages 529-570, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    emerging economies’ banks; locally supervised institutions; international debt; wholesale funding; Latin America; financial fragilities.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G15 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - International Financial Markets
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration

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