We study the effects of competition on loan rates and loan portfolio quality in microcredit markets using a new database from rating agencies, covering 379 for-profit and nonprofit microfinance institutions (MFIs) in 67 countries over 2002-2008. First, we find competitive pressures from...

In this paper we study the ways in which the firm's choice of liquid assets is affected by the pattern of share ownership and by the control structures within the firm. We distinguish between three separate ways in which these relationships can affect liquidity. First, ownership concentration...

We use a sample of banks from 24 European countries to investigate whether the adoption of the Basel II Capital Accord in 2008 affects the market valuation of discretionary loan loss provisions (DLLPs). Although Basel II lowers the incentives of internal ratings- based (IRB) banks to recognize...

In this paper, we raise the following two questions: (1) do Belgian holding companies operate an internal capital market to transfer financial resources in between their subsidiaries? And if yes, (2) is the internal capital market efficient? To answer the first question, we check if the group...

We describe the competitive environment of microcredit markets globally and we study the effects of competition on loan rates of microfinance institutions (MFIs). We use a new database from rating agencies, covering 379 for-profit and nonprofit MFIs in 67 countries over 2002-2008. First, we find...