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The Corporate Complexity of Global Systemically Important Banks

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  • Jacopo Carmassi

    (University LUISS Guido Carli)

  • Richard Herring

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

The financial crisis of 2007-2009 revealed that the corporate complexity of most of the Global Systemically Important Banks (G-SIBs) presented a formidable obstacle to any plausible orderly resolution of these institutions. This paper documents the extent of this complexity making use of an historical time series, developed by the authors, that shows the evolution of the number of majority-owned subsidiaries of G-SIBs over time. After a very significant increase in complexity before the crisis and until 2011, this trend may be reversing, possibly in response to regulatory and market pressures on banks since then. Nonetheless the reduction in complexity has been uneven across institutions and may not persist. The econometric analysis of this new set of panel data produces two key results with relevant policy implications: first, the relationship found in previous studies between the number of subsidiaries and bank size loses significance when time effects are introduced; second, large mergers and acquisitions are a key driver of complexity and their effect remains significant even when time effects are considered.

Suggested Citation

  • Jacopo Carmassi & Richard Herring, 2016. "The Corporate Complexity of Global Systemically Important Banks," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 49(2), pages 175-201, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jfsres:v:49:y:2016:i:2:d:10.1007_s10693-016-0251-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10693-016-0251-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Cardozo, Pamela & Morales-Acevedo, Paola & Murcia, Andrés & Rosado, Alejandra, 2022. "Does the geographical complexity of the Colombian financial conglomerates increase banks’ risk? The role of diversification, regulatory arbitrage, and funding costs," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
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    7. Michaela Posch & Stefan W. Schmitz & Peter Strobl, 2018. "Strengthening the euro area by addressing flawed incentives in the financial system," Monetary Policy & the Economy, Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank), issue Q2/18, pages 34-50.
    8. Claudia M. Buch & Linda S. Goldberg, 2021. "Complexity and Riskiness of Banking Organizations: Evidence from the International Banking Research Network," Staff Reports 966, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
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