Using a unique data set on German banks' loans to the German real economy, we investigate banks' credit risk. This data set includes the volume of loans per bank and industry as well as the corresponding write-downs. Our empirical study for the period 2003-2011 yields the following results: (i)...

Using a unique data set on German banks' loans to the German real economy, we investigate banks' credit risk. This data set includes the volume of loans per bank and industry as well as the corresponding write-downs. Our empirical study for the period 2003-2011 yields the following results: (i)...

We analyze the dynamics of banks’ regulatory capital ratios. Using monthly data of regulatory capital ratios for a subset of large German banks, we estimate the target level and the adjustment speed of the capital ratio for each bank separately. We find evidence that, first, there exists a...

We analyze the dynamics of banks' regulatory capital ratios. Using monthly regulatory data of large German banks, we estimate the target level and the adjustment speed of the capital ratio for each bank separately. There exists a target level for a substantial percentage of banks. Unlike with...

We analyze the dynamics of banks' regulatory capital ratios. Using monthly data of regulatory capital ratios for a subset of large German banks, we estimate the target level and the adjustment speed of the capital ratio for each bank separately. We find evidence that, first, there exists a...

Using detailed data of all German banks, we find that banks which have suffered heavy credit losses reduce their corporate lending business by 1.32 euro for each euro lost; with 95% confidence, the effect is between 0.85 and 1.80 euros. This sensitivity is in line with (quite heterogeneous)...

To study bank behavior, we use tail events in the history of a bank's credit losses as a new type of shock to capital. When defined appropriately, such events are virtually unpredictable for bank managers and spread evenly over time and banks. We estimate from granular data of all German banks...

Using detailed data of all German banks, we find that banks which have suffered heavy credit losses reduce their corporate lending business by 1.32 euro for each euro lost; with 95% confidence, the effect is between 0.85 and 1.80 euros. This sensitivity is in line with (quite heterogeneous)...