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Watch out for bailout: TARP and bank earnings management

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Listed:
  • Fan, Yaoyao
  • Huang, Yichu
  • Jiang, Yuxiang
  • Liu, Frank Hong

Abstract

We study the impact of the recent government bailout, called Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP), on bank accounting quality. By adopting a difference-in-difference (DID) method, we find a significantly positive impact of TARP on earnings management of recipient banks, compared with their non-recipient peers. Further, we observe that TARP-recipient banks engage more in earnings-decreasing manipulation rather than earnings-increasing manipulation. This behavior is more obvious for those banks that voluntarily request for TARP funds. Also, participant banks change their accounting strategy to manipulate earnings upwards after TARP funds are paid back. Our findings confirm our hypothesis that TARP-recipient banks are motivated to manipulate downwards (or hide some earnings) to obtain further favorable treatment by the program administrators.

Suggested Citation

  • Fan, Yaoyao & Huang, Yichu & Jiang, Yuxiang & Liu, Frank Hong, 2020. "Watch out for bailout: TARP and bank earnings management," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finsta:v:51:y:2020:i:c:s157230892030084x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfs.2020.100785
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Government bailout; TARP; Bank earnings management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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