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Does the ECB act as a lender of last resort during the subprime lending crisis?: Evidence from monetary policy reaction models

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  • Eichler, Stefan
  • Hielscher, Kai

Abstract

We investigate whether the ECB aligns its monetary policy with financial crisis risk in EMU member countries. We find that since the outbreak of the subprime crisis the ECB has significantly increased net lending and reduced interest rates when banking and sovereign debt crisis risk in vulnerable EMU countries (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain) increases, while no significant effect is identified for the pre-crisis period and relatively tranquil EMU countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands). These findings suggest that the ECB acts as a Lender of Last Resort for vulnerable EMU countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Eichler, Stefan & Hielscher, Kai, 2012. "Does the ECB act as a lender of last resort during the subprime lending crisis?: Evidence from monetary policy reaction models," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 552-568.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jimfin:v:31:y:2012:i:3:p:552-568
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jimonfin.2011.11.009
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Eichler, Stefan & Lähner, Tom & Noth, Felix, 2016. "Regional Banking Instability and FOMC Voting," VfS Annual Conference 2016 (Augsburg): Demographic Change 145803, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    2. Avalos, Fernando & Mamatzakis, Emmanuel, 2023. "Is bank resilience affected by unconventional monetary policy in the Euro area?," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    3. Christoph Schmidt & Benjamin Weigert, 2013. "Weathering the crisis and beyond: perspectives for the Euro area," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 20(4), pages 564-595, August.
    4. Fernando Avalos & Emmanuel C Mamatzakis, 2018. "Euro area unconventional monetary policy and bank resilience," BIS Working Papers 754, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. Klose, Jens, 2014. "Determining structural breaks in central bank reaction functions of the financial crisis," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 11(C), pages 78-90.
    6. Stefan Eichler, 2012. "The impact of banking and sovereign debt crisis risk in the eurozone on the euro/US dollar exchange rate," Applied Financial Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(15), pages 1215-1232, August.
    7. Michael Berlemann & Kai Hielscher, 2016. "Measuring Effective Monetary Policy Conservatism of Central Banks: A Dynamic Approach," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 17(1), pages 105-132, May.
    8. Eichler, Stefan & Lähner, Tom & Noth, Felix, 2018. "Regional banking instability and FOMC voting," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 282-292.
    9. Christoph M. Schmidt & Benjammin Weigert, 2013. "Weathering the Crisis and Beyond: Perspectives for the Euro Area," Ruhr Economic Papers 0409, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    10. Dimitrios Gounopoulos & Johannes Hoebelt, 2013. "Development in financial markets and the performance of German IPOs," Chapters, in: Mario Levis & Silvio Vismara (ed.), Handbook of Research on IPOs, chapter 20, pages 421-462, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    11. repec:zbw:rwirep:0409 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Lender of Last Resort; ECB; Financial crisis; EMU; Monetary policy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • F32 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Current Account Adjustment; Short-term Capital Movements
    • F37 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Finance Forecasting and Simulation: Models and Applications

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