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Working Paper
COVID-19 as a Stress Test: Assessing the Bank Regulatory Framework
The widespread economic damage caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses the first major test of the bank regulatory reforms put in place following the global financial crisis. This study assesses this framework, with an emphasis on capital and liquidity requirements. Leading up to the COVID-19 crisis, banks were well-capitalized and held ample liquid assets, reflecting in part heightened requirements. Capital requirements were comparable across major jurisdictions, despite differences in the implementation of the international Basel standards. The overall robust capital and liquidity ...
Working Paper
Information and Liquidity of OTC Securities : Evidence from Public Registration of Rule 144A Bonds
The Rule 144A private debt represents a significant and growing segment of the U.S. bond market. This paper examines the market liquidity effects of enhanced information disclosure induced by the public registration of 144A bonds. Using the regulatory version of TRACE data for the period 2002-2013, we find that following public registration of 144A bonds, dealer-specific effective bid-ask spreads narrow, especially for issues with higher ex-ante information asymmetry. Our results are consistent with existing theories that disclosure reduces information risk and thus improves market liquidity.
Discussion Paper
Credit Portfolio Convergence in U.S. Banks since the COVID-19 Shock
The COVID-19 pandemic has materially affected U.S. consumer behavior and business operations in many important aspects. This note focuses on the changes in banks’ balance sheets and demonstrates how we could apply a novel measure of portfolio similarity to balance sheet data and assess the drivers of similarity change along the path of the pandemic.