An Analysis of the Impact of Deposit Rate Ceilings on the Market Values of Thrift Institutions

This paper examines the impact of changes in deposit interest rate regulations on the common stock values of savings and loan institutions. The analysis indicates that stockholder-owned savings and loans (S & L's) have experienced statistically significant declines in equity market values at the announcement of the removal of ceilings on certain consumer (small saver) certificate accounts and the introduction of short term variable rate money market certificates. We find the evidence to be consistent with the hypothesis that S & L's have earned economic rents from restrictions on interest rates paid to small saver accounts, and that relaxation of interest rate ceilings has reduced these rents.     

An economic model of the market for negotiable certificates of deposit

The model developed in this paper explains both the quantity of CDs and the rate of interest on this instrument. We demonstrate that the behavior of the market for this financial asset is characterized by a dichotomy which has been induced by the Federal Reserve's administration of Regulation Q ceilings on offering rates on CDs. During several time spans since 1961, Regulation Q had no impact on the CD market and we hypothesize that the behavior of the CD market reflected market forces of both demand and supply. However during several periods, the Regulation Q ceiling effectively bound offering rates on CDs which induced a runoff in the quantity of CDs while the secondary CD rate was bid up to the level of market interest rates. In modeling the behavior of the CD market, equations are developed for both the outstanding quantity of CDs and the interest rate on CDs, each of which consists of different sets of variables for normal and runoff periods in order to explain this dichotomy.     

Taxation of Interest Income,Deregulation and the Banking Industry

Removing interest rate ceilings on bank deposits or reducing the tax rate applicable to the interest earned on such deposits are alternative means of increasing the after-tax return to depositors. These alternatives, however, have differing impacts on the structure of a competitive banking industry. This paper develops a model which focuses on a bank's choice between paying an explicit interest rate on its deposits and paying a return in the form of services. The model allows banks to differ in their production technologies and depositors in their marginal tax rates and preferences for services. The effects of tax rate changes and a ceiling on the explicit deposit interest rate are analyzed.     

The microeconomics of deposit rate ceilings : Inferences for NOW accounts and interest on checking accounts

This paper examines the specific set of market and product conditions which could support the theoretical argument, widely held among commercial bankers, that deposit rate ceilings, especially the prohibition of interest on checking accounts, are beneficial to bank earnings. The analysis points to the conclusion that ceilings are beneficial to bankers only if (a) bank deposits are homogeneous goods, (b) deposit markets are non-collusive oligopsonies, and (c) the regulated ceiling rate is not set too far below the ceiling that would exist in an unregulated monopsony. Empirical studies done elsewhere seem to indicate that none of these three necessary conditions are normally met in the marketplace. The NOW account, which is really an interest-bearing checking account, also extends demand deposit powers to non-bank thrift institutions. Under our analysis, the NOW account adds to the number of competitors offering checking-type deposits, driving up the cost of funds, other things equal, to the oligopsonist banker — perhaps by enough to offset the cost-reducing effect of repeal of the interest prohibition.     

Deposit interest rate ceilings as credit supply shifters: Bank level evidence on the effects of Regulation Q

How did deposit interest rate ceilings, an important feature of the U.S. regulatory regime until the mid-1980s, affect individual banks’ lending and the transmission of monetary policy to credit? I estimate the effect of deposit rate ceilings inscribed in Regulation Q on commercial banks’ credit growth using a historical bank level data set starting in 1959. Banks’ credit growth contracted sharply when legally fixed deposit rate ceilings were binding. Interaction terms with monetary policy suggest that the policy impact on bank level credit growth was non-linear and significantly larger when rate ceilings were in place. Bank size and capitalization mitigate these effects. At the bank level, short-term interest rates exceeding the legally fixed deposit rate ceilings identify policy induced credit supply shifts that disappeared with deposit rate deregulation and thus weakened the bank lending channel substantially since the early 1980s.     

An analysis of intra-industry differences in the effect of regulation: The case of deposit rate ceilings

This study examines the impact of deposit rate ceiling changes on the market value of commercial banks and stock savings and loan associations. Statistically significant increases in market value are found on announcement of the removal of ceilings on large denomination certificates of deposit. In contrast, retail commercial banks and savings and loans experienced declines in value on announcement of the elimination or relaxation of deposit rate ceilings on small denomination consumer accounts. In addition, for all events analyzed, significant differences were found in the effect of ceiling changes on the market value of wholesale and retail commercial banks.     

Joint Effects of Interest Rate Deregulation and Capital Requirements on Optimal Bank Portfolio Adjustments

The 1980 Depository Institution Deregulation and Monetary Control Act (DIDMCA) mandates that Regulation Q be phased out by 1986. With deregulation of interest rate ceilings, the cost of raising capital funds for commercial banks would become more volatile and more closely related with interest rates in the money and capital markets. Thus, value-maximizing bank managers would need to be concerned not only with the internal risk, but also with the external risk in bank portfolio management decisions. Based upon the cash flow version of the capital asset pricing model, this paper analyzes the joint impact of interest rate deregulation and capital requirements on the portfolio behavior of a banking firm.     

Interest rate corridors and reserves

This paper evaluates reserves regimes versus interest rate corridors, which have become competing frameworks for monetary policy implementation. Rate corridors, relying on lending and deposit facilities to create ceilings and floors for overnight interest rates, evince mixed results on controlling volatility. Reserve requirements allow period-average smoothing of interest rates but, even if remunerated, are subject to reserve avoidance activities. A system of voluntary, period-average reserve commitments could offer equivalent rate-smoothing advantages. If central banks created symmetric opportunity costs of meeting or falling short of period-average reserve requirements (or commitments), they could achieve flat reserve demand on settlement day.     

Differences in the Cost of Mortgage Credit Implications for Discrimination

This paper estimates the mortgage interest rate differences paid by Asian, Hispanic, and African–American borrowers to a national home mortgage lender in the years 1988–1989. Controlling for differences in market rates, rate lock protection, and borrower risk factors, conventional loan interest rates are almost perfectly race-neutral. The single deviation from race-neutrality is that when interest rates fall during the borrower's rate-lock period, only African–American borrowers are unable to capture a share of this decline. Government (FHA and VA) credit models show small premia paid by African–American borrowers of about $1.80 per month on average. In government lending, Hispanic borrowers alone are unable to capture rate declines occurring during the borrower's rate-lock period.     

The Impact of Federal Interest Rate Regulations on the Small Saver: Further Evidence

This paper provides further evidence on the distributional impact of interest rate ceilings on the small saver. Cross-section data from the 1977 Consumer Credit Survey was used to estimate the implicit losses imposed on different income classes by government regulations. Our findings generally support earlier studies which found the implicit burden to be regressive among income classes. However, the degree of regressivity showed a marked decrease since 1970. These results may be explained by portfolio adjustments of households and financial innovations in response to deposit rate ceilings and accelerating inflation during the 1970s.     

中国的利率体系与利率市场化改革

利率对宏观经济均衡和资源配置有重要导向意义。央行确定政策利率要符合经济规律、宏观调控和跨周期设计需要。目前,中国的真实利率略低于经济增速,处于较为合理水平。中国已形成较为完整的市场化利率体系,主要通过货币政策工具调节银行体系流动性,释放政策利率调控信号,在利率走廊的辅助下,引导市场基准利率以政策利率为中枢运行,并通过银行体系传导至贷款利率,调节和优化资源配置,实现货币政策目标。中国具备继续实施正常货币政策的条件,将尽可能地延长正常货币政策的时间,目前不需要实施资产购买操作。在市场化利率体系中,收益率曲线非常重要,它反映利率由短及长的期限结构,可为各类金融产品和市场主体提供定价参考。收益率曲线的短端为货币市场基准利率,直接受央行货币政策操作的影响;长端则为国债收益率,主要反映市场对未来宏观经济走势的预期。经过多年发展,我国的国债收益率曲线应用日益广泛,整体趋于成熟,而在市场基础方面还有进一步提升的空间。     

THE INFORMATION CONTENT AND USEFULNESS OF THE TERM STRUCTURE OF THE NEW ZEALAND BANK BILL MARKET

This paper applies the rationality concept and expectations hypothesis to test the information efficiency of the term structure of the New Zealand bank bill market. Weekly data is collected from June 1986 to November 1988. The sample period is partitioned into two subperiods by the sharemarket crash in October 1987. The empirical results suggest the presence of a time varying risk premium. This is reflected by the significantly positive volatility measure in the first subperiod and the significant interest rate level variable in both subperiods. The forecast errors correlate significantly with the growth in money supply and overseas interest rate variables. Factors other than market information inefficiency could be responsible for the significant correlation; namely the impact of the sharemarket crash on market perceptions about inflation expectations and the non-simultaneous data problem in calculating the differential costs of borrowing. Despite the rejection of the joint hypothesis, forward rates are found to have information about future spot rates beyond that contained in past spot rates, and are able to predict interest rates at least 30 days ahead.     

Valuation Model of Defaultable Bond Values in Emerging Markets

This paper develops a model to value defaultable bonds in emerging markets. Default occurs when some signaling process hits a pre-defined default barrier. The signaling variable is considered to be some macro-economic variables such as foreign exchange rates. The dynamics of the default barrier depend on the volatility and the drift of the signaling variable. We derive a closed-form solution of the defaultable bond price from the model as a function of a signaling variable and a short-term interest rate. The numerical results show that the model values generated by using foreign exchange rates as the signaling variables can broadly track the market credit spreads of defaultable bonds in South Korea and Brazil. Given an expected level of the foreign exchange rate, defaultable bond values under a stressed market situation can be obtained.     

On the relationship between exchange rates and equity returns: A new approach

This paper employs a new approach in order to investigate the underlying relationship between stock markets and exchange rates. Current approaches suggest that the relative equity market performance of two countries is linked to their exchange rate. In contrast, this study proposes an alternative approach where one global variable – global equity market returns – is believed to have an effect on exchange rates, with the relative interest rate level of a currency determining the sign of the relationship. Our empirical findings suggest that exchange rates and global stock market returns are strongly linked. The value of currencies with higher interest rates is positively related with global equity returns, whereas the value of currencies with lower interest rates is negatively related with global equity returns.     

Alternative Solutions to Underinvestment, Under Equity and Credit Rationing

We compare alternative solutions to underinvestment (UI) problems in firms subject to limited access to equity markets, interest ceilings, and constraints on the volume of debt. Collaterals (assets or compensating balances) and credit insurance ('regular' or 'outcome' insurance whereby the premium is paid at the end of the insurance period) are compared on the basis to their costs and their effective use of financial sources. It is shown that when there is no moral hazard problem, credit insurance is the most effective instrument. Otherwise, 'outcome' insurance program is the most effective one.     

Alternative Solutions to Underinvestment, Under Equity and Credit Rationing

We compare alternative solutions to underinvestment (UI) problems in firms subject to limited access to equity markets, interest ceilings, and constraints on the volume of debt. Collaterals (assets or compensating balances) and credit insurance ('regular' or 'outcome' insurance whereby the premium is paid at the end of the insurance period) are compared on the basis to their costs and their effective use of financial sources. It is shown that when there is no moral hazard problem, credit insurance is the most effective instrument. Otherwise, 'outcome' insurance program is the most effective one.     

Competition,Loan Rates,and Information Dispersion in Nonprofit and For‐Profit Microcredit Markets

We describe the competitive environment of microcredit markets globally and we study the effects of competition on loan rates of microfinance institutions (MFIs). We use a new database from rating agencies, covering 379 for‐profit and nonprofit MFIs in 67 countries over 2002–2008. Controlling for interest rate ceilings and other country‐specific factors, we first find that nonprofits are relatively insensitive to industry‐wide concentration changes, while for‐profits charge significantly lower rates in less concentrated markets. Second, we find spillover effects between the for‐profit and nonprofit segments. Third, we show that the effects of concentration are consistent with an information dispersion mechanism.     

The Economic Impact of the Federal Credit Union Usury Ceiling

This study measures the impact of the Federal credit union usury ceiling on consumer credit availability and loan rates. When binding, the ceiling keeps loan rates low, but it reduces credit union lending. There is also evidence that a binding loan rate ceiling affects the competitiveness of credit unions in the market for deposits. Although the Federal Credit Union Act specifically mandates federally chartered credit unions to be a source of low cost consumer credit and to promote thriftiness, it is not at all clear that the intent of the Act is served by a binding usury ceiling.     

利率市场化、信贷资源配置与民营企业增长期权价值——基于贷款利率上、下限放开的准自然实验证据

利率市场化对于提高资金配置效率、推动经济高质量发展具有重要意义,来自企业的经验证据有助于理解利率市场化影响经济发展的微观路径。本文基于我国贷款利率上限与下限的放开,借助双重差分模型检验了利率市场化如何影响民营企业的信贷资源获取、投资灵活性与增长期权价值。研究表明:贷款利率市场化使得银行能够通过调节利率来匹配企业风险,相比于中等风险企业,高风险(低风险)企业在贷款利率上限(下限)放开后以更高(更低)的融资成本获得了更多信贷资源;信贷资源的增加为企业把握投资机会提供了资金支持,贷款利率上限(下限)放开后,高风险(低风险)企业的投资灵活性与增长期权价值显著提升。本文的研究发现有助于理解利率市场化促进经济增长的微观机制,为进一步健全市场化利率体系、推进经济高质量发展提供参考。     

Interest Rate Pass-Through in China: An Analysis of Chinese Commercial Banks

This study investigates the interest rate transmission in China. We analyze the extent to which the benchmark and wholesale interest rates are transmitted to the retail interest rates and focus particularly on the change in the interest rate pass-through after the interest rate liberalization. Using data of 16 listed banks from 2007Q1 to 2017Q3, we find that the pass-through is not yet complete. Even though interest rates have been liberalized on the policy level, the sensitivity of the retail interest rates to the wholesale rates has not increased enough as expected and may be explained by the market power of Chinese commercial banks.