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Back to the Future: Backtesting Systemic Risk Measures during Historical Bank Runs and the Great Depression

Author

Listed:
  • Brownlees, Christian
  • Chabot, Ben
  • Ghysels, Eric
  • Kurz, Christopher

Abstract

We evaluate the performance of two popular systemic risk measures, CoVaR and SRISK, during eight financial panics in the era before FDIC insurance. Bank stock price and balance sheet data were not readily available for this time period. We rectify this shortcoming by constructing a novel dataset for the New York banking system before 1933. Our evaluation exercise focuses on assessing whether systemic risk measures were able to detect systemically important financial institutions and to provide early warning signals of aggregate financial sector turbulence. The predictive ability of CoVaR and SRISK is measured controlling for a set of commonly employed market risk measures and bank ratios. We find that CoVaR and SRISK help identifying systemic institutions in periods of distress beyond what is explained by standard risk measures up to six months prior to the panic events. Increases in aggregate CoVaR and SRISK precede worsening conditions in the financial system; however, the evidence of predictability is weaker.

Suggested Citation

  • Brownlees, Christian & Chabot, Ben & Ghysels, Eric & Kurz, Christopher, 2017. "Back to the Future: Backtesting Systemic Risk Measures during Historical Bank Runs and the Great Depression," CEPR Discussion Papers 12178, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12178
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    1. repec:eee:dyncon:v:86:y:2018:i:c:p:165-184 is not listed on IDEAS

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial crises; Risk Measures; systemic risk;

    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • 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
    • N21 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - U.S.; Canada: Pre-1913

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