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The effect of employee stock options on bank investment choice, borrowing, and capital

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  • Hamid Mehran
  • Joshua V. Rosenberg

Abstract

In this paper, we test the hypothesis that granting employee stock options motivates CEOs of banking firms to undertake riskier projects. We also investigate whether granting employee stock options reduces the bank's incentive to borrow while inducing a buildup of regulatory capital. Using a sample of 549 bank-years for publicly traded banks from 1992 to 2002, we find some evidence that the bank's equity volatility (total as well as residual) and asset volatility increase as CEO stock option holdings increase. In addition, it appears that granting employee stock options motivates banks to reduce their borrowing, as evidenced by lower levels of interest expense and federal funds borrowing. Furthermore, we show that banking firms that grant more options to their employees build up more capital in future years.

Suggested Citation

  • Hamid Mehran & Joshua V. Rosenberg, 2007. "The effect of employee stock options on bank investment choice, borrowing, and capital," Staff Reports 305, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:305
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    Cited by:

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    2. Rym Ayadi & Emrah Arbak & Willem Pieter De Groen, 2012. "Executive Compensation and Risk-taking in European Banking," Chapters, in: James R. Barth & Chen Lin & Clas Wihlborg (ed.), Research Handbook on International Banking and Governance, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Hilscher, Jens & Raviv, Alon, 2014. "Bank stability and market discipline: The effect of contingent capital on risk taking and default probability," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 542-560.
    4. Srivastav, Abhishek & Armitage, Seth & Hagendorff, Jens, 2014. "CEO inside debt holdings and risk-shifting: Evidence from bank payout policies," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 41-53.
    5. Yang, Xiaolou, 2017. "Reexamination of risk-taking incentives in banking: Realign incentives and curtail future episodes of mismanagement," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 238-248.
    6. Fahlenbrach, Rüdiger & Stulz, René M., 2011. "Bank CEO incentives and the credit crisis," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(1), pages 11-26, January.
    7. Loyola, Gino & Portilla, Yolanda, 2014. "Reward for failure and executive compensation in institutional investors," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 349-361.
    8. Koziol, Christian & Roßmann, Philipp, 2022. "Contingent convertible bonds: Optimal call strategy and the impact of refinancing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    9. Tu Nguyen & Sandy Suardi & Jing Zhao, 2021. "Employee Treatment and Bank Default Risk during the Credit Crisis," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 59(3), pages 173-208, June.
    10. Cziraki, Peter, 2018. "Trading by bank insiders before and during the 2007–2008 financial crisis," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 58-82.
    11. Bui, Dien Giau & Fang, Yiwei & Lin, Chih-Yung, 2018. "The influence of risk culture on firm returns in times of crisis," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 291-306.
    12. Jeong-Bon Kim & Li Li & Mary L. Z. Ma & Frank M. Song, 2013. "CEO Option Compensation, Risk-Taking Incentives, and Systemic Risk in the Banking Industry," Working Papers 182013, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    13. Jijun Niu, 2010. "The Effect of Overconfidence on the Sensitivity of CEO Wealth to Equity Risk," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 38(1), pages 23-39, August.
    14. Harald Hau & Marcel Thum, 2009. "Subprime Crisis and Board (In-)Competence: Private vs. Public Banks in Germany," CESifo Working Paper Series 2640, CESifo.
    15. Hagendorff, Jens & Vallascas, Francesco, 2011. "CEO pay incentives and risk-taking: Evidence from bank acquisitions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 1078-1095, September.
    16. Marina Brogi & Valentina Lagasio, 2019. "Do bank boards matter? A literature review on the characteristics of banks' board of directors," International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 13(3), pages 244-274.
    17. Jijun Niu, 2012. "Interest rates and the risk-taking incentives of bank CEOs," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 32(2), pages 1555-1570.

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    Keywords

    Stock options; Bank stocks; Bank directors; Bank employees; Employee fringe benefits; Bank capital;
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