Trading Partners in the Interbank Lending Market

Abstract

There is substantial heterogeneity in the structure of trading relationships in the U.S. overnight interbank lending market: Some banks rely on spot transactions, while most form stable, concentrated borrowing relationships to hedge liquidity needs. As a result, borrowers pay lower prices and borrow more from their concentrated lenders. Exogenous shocks to liquidity supply (days with low GSE lending) lead to marketwide drops in liquidity and a rise in interest rates. However, borrowers with concentrated lenders are almost completely insulated from the shocks, while liquidity transmission affects the rest of the market via higher interest rates and reduced borrowing volumes.

Keywords: interbank lending, OTC markets

JEL Classification: D40, E59, G10, G21