Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-jwnkl Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-10T12:25:33.119Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Systemic Banking Crises, Institutional Environment, and Corporate Leverage

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 November 2020

Özde Öztekin*
Affiliation:
Florida International University, College of Business
*
ooztekin@fiu.edu (corresponding author)

Abstract

This study examines corporate leverage during systemic banking crises in an international setting, including 85 countries from 1987 to 2017. Using the historically determined component of institutions and exogenous variations in institution building, the analyses show that leverage cyclicality varies substantially across institutional settings. Leverage is strongly countercyclical under more binding constraints on the capital supply, suggesting important supply effects of such crises on leverage. Weak institutions are more conducive to crises and uncertainty. Leverage countercyclicality is more pronounced during crises that coincide with higher uncertainty, whereas leverage is procyclical with stronger legal systems and information sharing in capital markets.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the Michael G. Foster School of Business, University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

I thank Paul Malatesta (the editor) and an anonymous referee for very helpful comments and suggestions. All remaining errors are my own.

References

Acemoglu, D., and Johnson, S.. “Unbundling Institutions.” Journal of Political Economy, 113 (2005), 949995.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Acemoglu, D.; Johnson, S.; and Robinson, J. A.. “The Colonial Origins of Comparative Development: An Empirical Investigation.” American Economic Review, 91 (2001), 13691401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Acemoglu, D.; Johnson, S.; and Robinson, J. A.. “Institutions as a Fundamental Cause of Long-Run Growth.” Handbook of Economic Growth, 1A (2005), 386472.Google Scholar
Acemoglu, D.; Johnson, S.; Robinson, J. A.; and Thaicharoen, Y.. “Institutional Causes, Macroeconomic Symptoms: Volatility, Crises and Growth.” Journal of Monetary Economics, 50 (2003), 49123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Acemoglu, D., and Robinson, J. A.. “A Theory of Political Transitions.” American Economic Review, 91 (2001), 938963.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ahir, H.; Bloom, N.; and Furceri, D.. “The World Uncertainty Index.” Stanford mimeo (2018).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alesina, A.; Devleevschauwer, A.; Easterly, W.; Kurlat, S.; and Wacziarg, R.. “Fractionalization.” Journal of Economic Growth, 8 (2003), 155194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, T; Demirgüç-Kunt, A.; and Levine, R.. “A New Database on Financial Development and Structure.” World Bank Economic Review, 14 (2000), 597605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, T.; Demirgüç-Kunt, A.; and Levine, R.. “Financial Institutions and Markets Across Countries and Over Time: Data and Analysis.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4943 (2009).Google Scholar
Beck, T.; and Laeven, L.. “Institution Building and Growth in Transition Economies.” Journal of Economic Growth, 11 (2006), 157186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bloom, N. “Fluctuations in Uncertainty.” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 28 (2014), 153176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonaime, A.; Gulen, H.; and Ion, M.. “Does Policy Uncertainty Affect Mergers and Acquisitions?Journal of Financial Economics, 129 (2018), 531558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Booth, L.; Aivazian, V.; Demirgüç-Kunt, A.; and Maksomovic, V.. “Capital Structure in Developing Countries.” Journal of Finance, 56 (2001), 87130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boutchkova, M.; Doshi, H.; Durnev, A.; and Molchanov, A.. “Precarious Politics and Stock Return Volatility.” Review of Financial Studies, 25 (2012), 1111154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brogaard, J.; and Detzel, A.. “The Asset Pricing Implications of Government Economic Policy Uncertainty.” Management Science, 61 (2015), 318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Čihák, M.; Demirgüç-Kunt, A.; Feyen, E.; and Levine, R.. “Benchmarking Financial Development Around the World.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6175 (2012).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Fiore, F.; and Uhlig, H.. “Corporate Debt Structure and the Banking Crisis.” Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, 47 (2015), 15711598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Demirgüç-Kunt, A.; Peria, M. S. M.; and Tressel, T.. “The Global Financial Crisis and the Capital Structure of Firms: Was the Impact More Severe among SMEs and Non-Listed Firms?Journal of Corporate Finance, 60 (2020), 101514.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djankov, S.; Hart, O.; McLiesh, C.; and Shleifer, A.. “Debt Enforcement Around the World.” Journal of Political Economy, 116 (2008), 11051150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djankov, S.; La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; and Shleifer, A.. “The Regulation of Entry.” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1 (2002), 137.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djankov, S.; La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; and Shleifer, A.. “Courts.” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118 (2003), 453517.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djankov, S.; La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; and Shleifer, A.. “The Law and Economics of Self-Dealing.” Journal of Financial Economics, 88 (2008), 430465.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Djankov, S.; McLiesh, C.; and Shleifer, A.. “Private Credit in 129 Countries.” Journal of Financial Economics, 84 (2007), 299329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durnev, A. “The Real Effects of Political Uncertainty: Elections and Investment Sensitivity to Stock Prices.” University of Iowa Working Paper (2011).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Easterly, W., and Ross, L.. “Tropic, Germs and Crops: How Endowments Influence Economic Development.” Journal of Monetary Economics, 50 (2003), 340.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erel, I.; Brandon, J.; Woojin, K.; and Weisbach, M.. “Macroeconomic Conditions and Capital Raising.” Review of Financial Studies, 25 (2011), 341376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fan, J. P. H.; Titman, S.; and Twite, G. J.. “An International Comparison of Capital Structure and Debt Maturity Choices.” Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 47 (2012), 2356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fernández, A. I.; González, F.; and Suárez, N.. “Bank Supply Shocks and the Substitution between Bank and Nonbank Debt.” Journal of Corporate Finance, 48 (2018), 122147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flannery, M. J., and Hankins, K. W.. “Estimating Dynamic Panels in Corporate Finance.” Journal of Corporate Finance, 19 (2013), 119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Flannery, M. J., and Rangan, K.. “Partial Adjustment toward Target Capital Structures.” Journal of Financial Economics, 79 (2006), 469506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Francis, B.; Hasan, I., I; and Zhu, Y.. “Political Uncertainty and Bank Loan Contracting.” Journal of Empirical Finance, 29 (2014), 281286.Google Scholar
Gulen, H., and Ion, M.. “Policy Uncertainty and Corporate Investment.” Review of Financial Studies, 29 (2016), 523564.Google Scholar
Halling, M.; Yu, J.; and Zechner, J.. “Leverage Dynamics over the Business Cycle.” Journal of Financial Economics, 122 (2016), 2141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, S.; Boone, P.; Breach, A.; and Friedman, E.. “Corporate Governance in the Asian Banking Crisis.” Journal of Financial Economics, 58 (2000), 141186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Julio, B., and Yook, Y.. “Political Uncertainty and Corporate Investment Cycles.” Journal of Finance, 67 (2012), 4584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jurado, K.; Ludvigson, S. C.; and Ng, S.. “Measuring Uncertainty.” American Economic Review, 105 (2015), 11771216.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufman, D.; Kraay, A.; and Mastruzzi, M.. “Governance Matters III: Governance Indicators for 1996–2002.” World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 2196 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Korajczyk, R. A., and Levy, A.. “Capital Structure Choice: Macroeconomic Conditions and Financial Constraints.” Journal of Financial Economics, 68 (2003), 75109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laeven, L., and Valencia, F.. “Systemic Banking Crises: A New Database.” IMF Working Paper (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laeven, L., and Valencia, F.. “Systemic Banking Crises Database.” IMF Economic Review, 61 (2013), 225–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laeven, L., and Valencia, F.. “Systemic Banking Crises.” In Banking Crises: Causes, Consequences, and Policy Responses, Claessens, Stijn, Ayhan Kose, M., Laeven, Luc, and Valencia, Fabián, eds. Washington, DC: International Monetary Fund (2014), 61137.Google Scholar
Laeven, L., and Valencia, F.. “Systemic Banking Crises Revisited.” IMF Working Paper (2018).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; and Shleifer, A.. “What Works in Securities Laws?Journal of Finance, 61 (2006), 132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
La Porta, R.; Lopez-de-Silanes, F.; Shleifer, A.; and Vishny, R. W.. “Law and Finance.” Journal of Political Economy, 106 (1998), 11131155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leary, M. T.Bank Loan Supply, Lender Choice, and Corporate Capital Structure.” Journal of Finance, 64 (2009), 11431185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, R.Bank-Based or Market-Based Financial Systems: Which Is Better?Journal of Financial Intermediation, 11 (2002), 130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, R.; Lin, C.; and Xie, W.. “Spare Tire? Stock Markets, Banking Crises, and Economic Recoveries.” Journal of Financial Economics, 20 (2016), 81101.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Öztekin, Ö. “Capital Structure Decisions Around the World: Which Factors Are Reliably Important?Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, 50 (2015), 301323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pástor, L., and Veronesi, P.. “Uncertainty about Government Policy and Stock Prices.” Journal of Finance, 64 (2012), 12191264.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pástor, L., and Veronesi, P.. “Political Uncertainty and Risk Premia.” Journal of Financial Economics, 110 (2013), 520545.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reinhart, C. M., and Rogoff, K. S.. “The Aftermath of Banking Crises.” American Economic Review, 99 (2009), 466–72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodrik, D.Where Did All the Growth Go? External Shocks, Social Conflict and Growth Collapses.” Journal of Economic Growth, 4 (1999), 385412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roland, G.Understanding Institutional Change: Fast-Moving and Slow-Moving Institutions.” Studies in Comparative International Development, 38 (2004), 109131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, M. “The Corporate Sector Dynamics of Systemic Banking Crises.” IMF Working Paper No. 00/114 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williamson, O. E.The New Institutional Economics: Taking Stock, Looking Ahead.” Journal of Economic Literature, 38 (2000), 595613.CrossRefGoogle Scholar