Bank Bias in Europe: Effects on Systemic Risk and Growth

Sam Langfield and Marco Pagano

CSEF Working Papers from Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Naples, Italy

Abstract: Europe’s financial structure has become strongly bank-based – far more so than in other economies. We document that an increase in the size of the banking system relative to equity and private bond markets is associated with more systemic risk and lower economic growth, particularly during housing market crises. We argue that these two phenomena arise owing to an amplification mechanism, by which banks overextend and misallocate credit when asset prices rise, and ration it when they drop. The paper concludes by discussing policy solutions to Europe’s “bank bias”, which include reducing regulatory favouritism towards banks, while simultaneously supporting the development of securities markets.

Keywords: banks; financial structure; systemic risk; bank regulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G1 G2 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015-06-30
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ban
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (39)

Published in Economic Policy, 2016, 31(85), pp. 51-106

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Related works:
Journal Article: Bank bias in Europe: effects on systemic risk and growth (2016)
Working Paper: Bank bias in Europe: effects on systemic risk and growth (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sef:csefwp:408

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