A dual early warning model of bank distress

Abstract

We contribute to the better understanding of the key factors related to the operation of the banking system that led to the global financial crisis through the development of a dual earning warning model that explores the joint determination of the probability of a distressed bank to face a licence withdrawal or to be bailed out. The underlying patterns of distress are analysed based upon a wide spectrum of bank specific and environmental factors. We obtain precise parameter estimates and superior in- and out-of-sample forecasts. Our results show that the determinants of failures and those of bailouts differ to a considerable extent, revealing that authorities treat a distressed bank differently in their decision to let it fail or to bail it out. Overall, we provide a reliable mechanism for preventing welfare losses due to bank distress