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Matthias Efing
- 19 September 2016
- WORKING PAPER SERIES - No. 22Details
- Abstract
- This paper provides evidence for regulatory arbitrage within the class of asset-backed securities (ABS) based on individual asset holding data of German banks. I find that banks operating with tight regulatory constraints exploit the low risk-sensitivity of rating-contingent capital requirements for ABS. Unlike unconstrained banks they systematically pick the securities with the highest yield and the lowest collateral performance among ABS with the same regulatory risk weight. This reaching for yield allows constrained banks to increase the return on the capital required for an ABS investment by a factor of four.
- JEL Code
- G01 : Financial Economics→General→Financial Crises
G21 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Banks, Depository Institutions, Micro Finance Institutions, Mortgages
G24 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Investment Banking, Venture Capital, Brokerage, Ratings and Ratings Agencies
G28 : Financial Economics→Financial Institutions and Services→Government Policy and Regulation