The Nexus Between Underlying Dynamics of Bank Capital Buffer and Performance

Abstract

This paper reveals the underlying dynamics between the capital buffer and bank performance in EU-27 countries. A dynamic panel analysis shows that capital buffer is significantly affected by bank performance and risk exposure. Remarkably, a threshold analysis identifies regime changes for the underlying relationships during the financial crisis of 2008. We find a positive relationship between the capital buffer and performance for banks that fall in the low performance regime, while a negative relationship is reported for the banks that belong to the high regime. Threshold results also show that buffer exerts a positive impact on bank performance. Although regulation reforms that aim to raise the capital requirements could improve bank performance and stability, these improvements are not homogeneous across banks.

Keywords: Capital buffer; Dynamic threshold; Performance; Bank default risk

JEL Classification: G20; G21; G28