Mark-to-Market Accounting and Liquidity Pricing

32 Pages Posted: 26 Jul 2006

See all articles by Franklin Allen

Franklin Allen

Imperial College London

Elena Carletti

Bocconi University - Department of Finance; European University Institute - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS)

Date Written: July 2006

Abstract

When liquidity plays an important role as in times of financial crisis, asset prices in some markets may reflect the amount of liquidity available in the market rather than the future earning power of the asset. Mark-to-market accounting is not a desirable way to assess the solvency of a financial institution in such circumstances. We show that a shock in the insurance sector can cause the current value of banks' assets to be less than the current value of their liabilities so the banks are insolvent. In contrast, if historic cost accounting is used, banks are allowed to continue and can meet all their future liabilities. Mark-to-market accounting can thus lead to contagion where none would occur with historic cost accounting.

Keywords: Mark-to-market, historical cost, incomplete markets

JEL Classification: G21, G22, M41

Suggested Citation

Allen, Franklin and Carletti, Elena, Mark-to-Market Accounting and Liquidity Pricing (July 2006). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=919900 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.919900

Franklin Allen (Contact Author)

Imperial College London ( email )

South Kensington Campus
Exhibition Road
London, Greater London SW7 2AZ
United Kingdom

Elena Carletti

Bocconi University - Department of Finance ( email )

Via Roentgen 1
Milano, MI 20136
Italy

European University Institute - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) ( email )

Villa La Fonte, via delle Fontanelle 18
50016 San Domenico di Fiesole
Florence, Florence 50014
Italy

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
1,007
Abstract Views
9,682
Rank
41,565
PlumX Metrics