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Usability of Bank Capital Buffers: The Role of Market Expectations

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  • José Abad
  • Antonio I Garcia Pascual

Abstract

Following the COVID shock, supervisors encouraged banks to use capital buffers to support the recovery. However, banks have been reluctant to do so. Provided the market expects a bank to rebuild its buffers, any draw-down will open up a capital shortfall that will weigh on its share price. Therefore, a bank will only decide to use its buffers if the value creation from a larger loan book offsets the costs associated with a capital shortfall. Using market expectations, we calibrate a framework for assessing the usability of buffers. Our results suggest that the cases in which the use of buffers make economic sense are rare in practice.

Suggested Citation

  • José Abad & Antonio I Garcia Pascual, 2022. "Usability of Bank Capital Buffers: The Role of Market Expectations," IMF Working Papers 2022/021, International Monetary Fund.
    • Handle: RePEc:imf:imfwpa:2022/021
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    Cited by:

    1. Ampudia, Miguel & Muñoz, Manuel A. & Smets, Frank & Van der Ghote, Alejandro, 2023. "System-wide Dividend Restrictions: Evidence and Theory," CEPR Discussion Papers 18467, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Marsh, W. Blake & Sharma, Padma, 2024. "Loan guarantees in a crisis: An antidote to a credit crunch?," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Lucas Avezum, 2023. "To use or not to use? Capital buffers and lending during a crisis," Working Papers w202308, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.
    4. Avezum, Lucas & Oliveira, Vítor & Serra, Diogo, 2024. "Assessment of the effectiveness of the macroprudential measures implemented in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 1542-1555.
    5. Gasparini, Tommaso & Lewis, Vivien & Moyen, Stéphane & Villa, Stefania, 2024. "Risky firms and fragile banks: implications for macroprudential policy," CEPR Discussion Papers 18915, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Aakriti Mathur & Matthew Naylor & Aniruddha Rajan, 2023. "Useful, usable, and used? Buffer usability during the Covid-19 crisis," Bank of England working papers 1011, Bank of England.
    7. Leitner, Georg & Dvořák, Michal & Magi, Alessandro & Zsámboki, Balázs, 2023. "How usable are capital buffers?," Occasional Paper Series 329, European Central Bank.

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