Citation

Discussion Paper Details

Please find the details for DP16628 in an easy to copy and paste format below:

Full Details   |   Bibliographic Reference

Full Details

Title: Bank Use of Sovereign CDS in the Eurozone Crisis: Hedging and Risk Incentives

Author(s): Viral V. Acharya, Yalin Gündüz and Tim Johnson

Publication Date: October 2021

Keyword(s): credit default swaps, Credit derivatives, Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC), Eurozone, sovereign credit risk and sovereign debt crisis

Programme Area(s): Financial Economics

Abstract: Using a comprehensive dataset from German banks, we document the usage of sovereign credit default swaps (CDS) during the European sovereign debt crisis of 2008-2013. Banks used the sovereign CDS market to extend, rather than hedge, their long exposures to sovereign risk during this period. Lower loan exposure to sovereign risk is associated with greater protection selling in CDS, the effect being weaker when sovereign risk is high. Bank and country risk variables are mostly not associated with protection selling. The findings are driven by the actions of a few non-dealer banks which sold CDS protection aggressively at the onset of the crisis, but started covering their positions at its height while simultaneously shifting their assets towards sovereign bonds and loans. Our findings underscore the importance of accounting for derivatives exposure in building a complete picture and understanding fully the economic drivers of the bank-sovereign nexus of risk

For full details and related downloads, please visit: https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=16628

Bibliographic Reference

Acharya, V, Gündüz, Y and Johnson, T. 2021. 'Bank Use of Sovereign CDS in the Eurozone Crisis: Hedging and Risk Incentives'. London, Centre for Economic Policy Research. https://cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=16628