Historical Patterns and Recent Changes in the Relationship between Bank Holding Company Size and Risk
14 Pages Posted: 13 Nov 2007
Abstract
What is the relationship between a bank holding company's size and the risk it takes? The authors find that although the level of risk at large and small bank holding companies has not differed significantly, important distinctions exist in the nature of that risk. Historically, large companies' diversification advantages were offset by lower capital ratios and the pursuit of risk-enhancing activities. More recently, however, differences between the capital ratios and activities of large and small companies have narrowed. As a result, an inverse relationship between risk and bank holding company size has begun to emerge.
Keywords: risk, bank size, diversification, capital ratio
JEL Classification: G21
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation
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