Characteristics of Participants in the Commercial Paper Funding Facility

Abstract

The Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF) bought commercial paper from highly-rated issuers of U.S. dollar commercial paper during the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009. This is the only study to analyze the accounting characteristics of both financial and non-financial firms selected for this Federal Reserve program. CPFF participants and non-participants differed little in terms of profitability, solvency, or liquidity ratios. Nevertheless, CPFF participants were significantly more likely to come from the financial sector, to pose greater systemic risks, and to have received funds from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout. The baseline predicted probability of participation in the CPFF doubles if the commercial paper issuer participated in the TARP bailout.

Keywords: ABCP, Asset Backed Commercial Paper, bailout, banks, Capital Purchase Program (CPP), commercial paper, Commercial Paper Funding Facility (CPFF), emergency lending, Federal Reserve, multinational firms, section 13(3), Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), U.S. Treasury, unsecured commercial paper

JEL Classification: G01, G18, G2, G28