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A theory of risk capital

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  • Erel, Isil
  • Myers, Stewart C.
  • Read, James A.

Abstract

We present a theory of risk capital and of how tax and other costs of risk capital should be allocated in a financial firm. Risk capital is equity investment that backs obligations to creditors and other liability holders and maintains the firm׳s credit quality. Credit quality is measured by the ratio of the value of the firm׳s option to default to the default-­free value of its liabilities. Marginal default values provide a full and unique allocation of risk capital. Efficient capital allocations maintain credit quality and preclude risk shifting. Our theory leads to an adjusted present value (APV) criterion for making investment and contracting decisions. We set out implications for risk management and corporate finance.

Suggested Citation

  • Erel, Isil & Myers, Stewart C. & Read, James A., 2015. "A theory of risk capital," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(3), pages 620-635.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:118:y:2015:i:3:p:620-635
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2014.10.006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Brusov & Tatiana Filatova & Natali Orekhova, 2023. "Capital Structure Theory: Past, Present, Future," Springer Books, in: The Brusov–Filatova–Orekhova Theory of Capital Structure, chapter 0, pages 9-50, Springer.
    2. Stuart M. Turnbull, 2018. "Capital Allocation in Decentralized Businesses," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-11, November.
    3. Mitra, Sovan, 2017. "Efficient option risk measurement with reduced model risk," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 163-174.
    4. Daniel Bauer & George Zanjani, 2016. "The Marginal Cost of Risk, Risk Measures, and Capital Allocation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(5), pages 1431-1457, May.
    5. Lamont K. Black & Ioannis Floros & Rajdeep Sengupta, 2016. "Raising capital when the going gets tough: U.S. bank equity issuance from 2001 to 2014," Research Working Paper RWP 16-5, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    6. Damiano Brigo & Marco Francischello & Andrea Pallavicini, 2017. "An indifference approach to the cost of capital constraints: KVA and beyond," Papers 1708.05319, arXiv.org.
    7. Wang, Wei & Xu, Huifu & Ma, Tiejun, 2023. "Optimal scenario-dependent multivariate shortfall risk measure and its application in risk capital allocation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 306(1), pages 322-347.
    8. Goel, Tirupam & Lewrick, Ulf & Tarashev, Nikola, 2020. "Bank capital allocation under multiple constraints," Journal of Financial Intermediation, Elsevier, vol. 44(C).
    9. Hirbod Assa & Manuel Morales & Hassan Omidi Firouzi, 2016. "On the Capital Allocation Problem for a New Coherent Risk Measure in Collective Risk Theory," Risks, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-20, August.
    10. Isil Erel & Stewart C. Myers & James A. Read, 2021. "Risk Capital: Theory and Applications," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 33(1), pages 8-21, March.
    11. Peter Vaz da Fonseca & Andrea Decourt Savelli & Michele Nascimento Juca, 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Influence of Taxation on Corporate Capital Structure," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(2), pages 155-178.
    12. Bauer, Daniel & Zanjani, George, 2021. "Economic capital and RAROC in a dynamic model," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    13. Kang, Woo-Young & Poshakwale, Sunil, 2019. "A new approach to optimal capital allocation for RORAC maximization in banks," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 153-165.
    14. Gómez, Fabio & Tang, Qihe & Tong, Zhiwei, 2022. "The gradient allocation principle based on the higher moment risk measure," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    15. Stephen J. Mildenhall, 2017. "Actuarial Geometry," Risks, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-44, June.
    16. Sunday S. Akpan & Fauziah Mahat & Bany-Ariffin Noordin & Annuar Nassir, 2017. "Contrasting the Effect of Risk- and Non Risk-Based Capital Structure on Insurers’ Performance in Nigeria," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-17, November.
    17. Aigner, Philipp & Schlütter, Sebastian, 2023. "Enhancing gradient capital allocation with orthogonal convexity scenarios," ICIR Working Paper Series 47/23, Goethe University Frankfurt, International Center for Insurance Regulation (ICIR).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital allocation; Cash capital; Investment decisions; VaR; RAROC;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • G23 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Non-bank Financial Institutions; Financial Instruments; Institutional Investors
    • G28 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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