Overall, no! We show that the level and time series variation in cash flows for most bank activities are well matched by capital market portfolios with similar interest rate and credit risk to what banks report to hold. Ignoring operating expenses, bank loans earn high returns and transaction...

This paper shows that stable net-interest margins of banks are uninformative about banks' interest rate exposure. We show that neither deposits nor market power are essential for achieving stable net-interest margins (NIM) in long-short fixed income portfolios. We show that matching interest...

This paper develops a dynamic general equilibrium model to quantify the effects of bank capital requirements. Households' preferences for liquid assets imply a liquidity premium on deposits. The banking sector supplies deposits and has excessive risk-taking incentives. I show that the scarcity...

We construct a novel measure of bank performance, investigate its determinants, and show that it affects bank resilience, lending behaviour and real outcomes. Using confidential and granular data, we measure performance against a market-based benchmark portfolio that mimics individual banks'...

We propose a dynamic bank theory with a delayed loss recognition mechanism and a regulatory capital constraint at its core. The estimated model matches four facts about banks’ Tobin’s Q that summarize bank leverage dynamics. (1) Book and market equity values diverge, especially during...

This paper studies banks' motives for trading in interest rate derivatives. It uses data from annual reports and regulatory filings to measure major market participants' derivatives portfolios, as well as their non-derivative exposure to interest rate risk. Risk exposures with and without...

This paper presents a quantitative dynamic general equilibrium model for the purpose of determining the optimal capital requirement for banks. Banks contribute to the production of a final good and they provide liquidity in the form of bank debt, which households value. Banks also benefit from...

One of the most important trends in modern macroeconomics is the shift from small firms to large firms. At the same time, financial markets have been transformed by advances in information technology. We explore the hypothesis that the use of big data in financial markets has lowered the cost of...