Given its nonperforming loan ratio of over 20 percent in 2007 and its concentration on poorer areas, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC) seemed an unlikely candidate for a successful initial public offering. The major capital injection the bank received in November 2008 was preceded by signs of...

The 2009 surge in bank lending in China was accompanied by allegations that substantial funds had been funneled into the nation's stock and property markets. Using data from 1999 to 2011, possible linkages between lending activity, real estate prices, stock prices, and inflation are examined. We...