We develop a theory of bank liquidity (cash reserve) requirements. Because cash is both observable and riskless, greater cash holdings improve bank incentives to manage risk in the remaining, non-cash portfolio of risky assets. In a model with a single bank, cash is held voluntarily to stem...

We examine changes in banks' market-to-book ratios over the last decade, focusing on the dramatic and persistent declines witnessed during the financial crisis. The extent of the decline and its persistence cannot be explained by the delayed recognition of losses. Rather, it is declines in the...