Macroeconomic Environment and Credit Risk (in English)

The importance of credit-risk models has increased with the introduction of the New Basel Capital Accord (Basel II). This paper follows Merton´s approach to structural analysis, toward default-rate modeling. A latent-factor model is introduced within this framework. Estimation of this model can help further our understanding of the relationship between credit risk and macroeconomic indicators. The results have been used for stress testing the Czech banking sector.banking; credit risk; default rate; latent-factor model; stress test

Does Credit Risk Vary with Economic Cycles? The Case of Finland

The significance of credit risk models has increased with the introduction of new Basel accord known as Basel II. The aim of this study is default rate modeling. This paper follows the two possible approaches of a macro credit risk modeling. First, empirical models are investigated. Second, a latent factor model based on Merton's idea is introduced. Both of these models are derived from individual default probability models. We employed data over the time period from 1988 to 2003 of the Finnish economy. First, linear vector autoregressive models were used in the case of dynamic empirical model. We examined how significant macroeconomic indicators determined the default rate in the economy. However these models cannot provide microeconomic foundation as latent factor models. A one-factor model was estimated using disaggregated industrial data. This estimation can help understand relation between credit risk and macroeconomic indicators. Models can be used for default rate prediction or stress testing by central authorities.banking; credit risk; latent factor model; default rate

Credit Risk in the Czech Economy

This paper deals with credit risk in the Czech aggregate economy. It follows structural Merton's approach. A latent factor model is employed within this framework. Estimation of this model can help to understand relation between credit risk and macroeconomic indicators. The credit risk model of the Czech aggregate economy was estimated in this manner for purpose of stress testing. The results of this study can be used for stress testing of banking sector.banking, credit risk, latent factor model, default rate, stress test

Household Balance Sheets and Economic Crisis

This paper studies the economic impact of the current global economic downturn on the household sector. Household budgets can be negatively affected by declines in nominal wages and increases in unemployment. We empirically test this effect for the small open emerging economy. As a result of a lack of individual data on household finances, micro data are simulated. Our analysis clearly shows that there is a significant additional decline in consumption related to an increase in household default rates and unemployment. We find that potential household insolvencies have important implications for the financial system as well as for the macroeconomy.credit cycle, households’ distress, insolvency, household default, aggregate consumption

Credit Risk and the Finnish Economy

The significance of credit risk models has increased with the introduction of the New Basel Accord, known as Basel II. The aim of this study is to examine default rate modeling. This paper follows two possible approaches to macro credit risk modeling, empirical models and a latent factor model based on Merton. We employ data over the time period from 1988 to 2003 for the Finnish economy, including time series of bankruptcy, numbers of firms and industry-specific data. Linear vector autoregressive models are used in the case of a dynamic empirical model. We examine how significant macroeconomic indicators determine the default rate in the whole economy and in industry-specific sectors. Since these models cannot provide microeconomic foundations, we employ a model with one latent factor, although multi-factor models are also considered. This estimation helps us to understand the relationships between credit risk and macroeconomic indicators. Both models can be used for default rate prediction or stres s testing by central authorities.banking, credit risk, latent factor model, default rate

The Prediction of Corporate Bankruptcy and Czech Economy’s Financial Stability through Logit Analysis

This article presents a financial scoring model estimated on Czech corporate accounting data. Seven financial indicators capable of explaining business failure at a 1-year prediction horizon are identified. Using the model estimated in this way, an aggregate indicator of the creditworthiness of the Czech corporate sector (named as JT index) is then constructed and its evolution over time is shown. This indicator aids the estimation of the risks of this sector going forward and broadens the existing analytical set-up used by the Czech National Bank for its financial stability analyses. The results suggest that the creditworthiness of the Czech corporate sector steadily improved between 2004 and 2006, but slightly deteriorated in 2007 what could be explained through global market turbulences.bankruptcy prediction, financial stability, logit analysis, corporate sector risk, JT index

Bank stress tests as an information device for emerging markets: The case of Russia

The recent financial crisis emphasised the need for effective financial stability analyses and tools for detecting systemic risk. This paper looks at assessment of banking sector resilience through stress testing. We argue such analyses are valuable even in emerging economies that suffer from limited data availability, short time series and structural breaks. We propose a top-down stress test methodology that employs relatively limited information to overcome this data problem. Moreover, as credit growth in emerging economies tends to be rather volatile, we rely on dynamic approach projecting key balance sheet items. Application of our proposed stress test framework to the Russian banking sector reveals a high sensitivity of the capital adequacy ratio to the economic cycle that shows up in both of the two-year macroeconomic scenarios considered: a baseline and an adverse one. Both scenarios indicate the need for capital increase in the Russian banking sector. Furthermore, given that Russia’s banking sector is small and fragmented relative to advanced economies, the loss of external financing can cause profound economic stress, especially for medium-sized and small enterprises. The Russian state has a low public debt-to-GDP ratio and plays decisive role in the banking sector. These factors allow sufficient fiscal space for recapitalisation of problematic banks under both of our proposed baseline and adverse scenarios.stress testing; bank; Russia

Adverse Feedback Loop in the Bank-Based Financial Systems

This paper examines procyclicality of the financial system. The introduction describes the natural and regulatory sources of procyclicality, focusing on the potential procyclical effect of the current Basel II regulatory framework for banks. It also mentions the regulatory tools for mitigating procyclical behaviour by financial institutions currently being discussed in international forums. Under certain conditions, procyclical behaviour of the banking sector can lead to an adverse feedback loop whereby banks, in response to an economic downswing, engage in deleveraging and reduce their lending to the economy in order to maintain the required capital adequacy ratio. This then further negatively affects economic output and impacts back on banks in the form of, for example, increased loan losses. In the main empirical section of the paper, this effect was simulated on the example of the Czech banking sector. The simulation results suggest that under certain assumptions the feedback loop may play an important role.procyclicality; feedback loop; bank regulation; deleveragin

Relationship Lending, Firms’ Behaviour and Credit Risk: Evidence from the Czech Republic

This paper presents the results of an analysis of data on individual bank loans of non-financial corporations in the Czech Republic taken from the CNB’s Central Credit Register. It focuses on the question of how firms obtain financing from domestic banks. The results show that the vast majority of non-financial corporations use the services of just one relationship lender. Small and young firms in technology- and knowledge-intensive industries tend to concentrate their credit needs in a single bank, whereas less creditworthy firms and firms in cyclical industries tend to borrow from more than one bank. The analysis also reveals different behaviour of firms towards financing banks in case of multiple lenders. Finally, the paper shows that the level of credit risk at bank level decreases in line with the extent to which firms applying single relationship lending occur in the bank’s portfolio.relationship banking; credit risk

Implied Market Loss Given Default in the Czech Republic: Structural-Model Approach

This paper focuses on the key credit risk parameter – Loss Given Default (LGD). We describe its general properties and determinants with respect to seniority of debt, characteristics of debtors and macroeconomic conditions. Furthermore, we illustrate how the LGD can be extracted from market observable information with help of the adjusted Mertonian structural approach. We present a derivation of the formula for the expected LGD and show its sensitivity with respect to other structural company parameters. Finally, we estimate the 5-year expected LGDs for companies listed on the Prague Stock Exchange and find that the average LGD for this analyzed sample is in the range of 20–45 %. To the authors’ knowledge, these are the first implied market estimates of LGD in the Czech Republic.loss given default, credit risk, structural models