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Executive compensation in banks: insights from CEO equity incentives and securitization transactions

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  • Michele Fabrizi

    (University of Padova)

Abstract

This paper investigates whether CEO equity incentives promote risk-taking activities in the financial industry. Prior research shows that, during the recent credit crisis, banks whose CEOs had high equity incentives performed significantly worse than banks whose CEOs had low equity incentives. A possible explanation for this result is that the incentive to boost stock price induced CEOs to take risks that turned out to be extremely costly. Focusing on securitization transactions that were among the fundamental causes of the financial crisis and using a sample of US financial institutions, the paper provides evidence that banks whose CEOs had high equity incentives engaged in securitization transactions to a greater extent than did financial institutions guided by CEOs with low equity incentives. Moreover, the paper shows that CEOs with high equity incentives securitized riskier loans than did CEOs with low incentives. This study helps to clarify the role of equity-based compensation in promoting risk-taking behaviors in banks.

Suggested Citation

  • Michele Fabrizi, 2018. "Executive compensation in banks: insights from CEO equity incentives and securitization transactions," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 22(4), pages 891-919, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jmgtgv:v:22:y:2018:i:4:d:10.1007_s10997-018-9407-y
    DOI: 10.1007/s10997-018-9407-y
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    1. Ameni Tarchouna & Bilel Jarraya & Abdelfettah Bouri, 2022. "Do board characteristics and ownership structure matter for bank non-performing loans? Empirical evidence from US commercial banks," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 26(2), pages 479-518, June.

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