Using a unique data set on German banks' sector specific loan exposures to the real economy and the corresponding write-offs and write-downs, we examine the impact of loan portfolio sector concentration on credit risk. By controlling for common risk factors, we separate the bank-specific...

In this paper we develop a model of the banking firm that enables us to test for portfolio separation. Our theoretical model generalizes existing intertemporal adjustment-cost models by assuming that these costs coexist simultaneously on both sides of the bank's balance sheet. The optimal...