This paper examines how borrower firm characteristics affect syndicate size structure in the Japanese loan market for the 1999-2003 period when the banking system is undergoing a major consolidation. We find that syndicates are smaller when borrowers have higher credit risk and when borrowers...

Most banks are subject to corporate income taxes while special purpose vehicles that hold securitized loans are corporate tax-exempt. We present a model that shows how this tax asymmetry creates an incentive for banks to sell loans. However, because moral hazard costs arise when banks...