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The Hidden Costs of Strategic Opacity

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  • Babus, Ana
  • Farboodi, Maryam

Abstract

We explore a model in which banks strategically hold interconnected and opaque portfolios, despite increasing the likelihood they are subject to financial crises. In our framework, banks choose their degree of exposure to other banks to influence how investors can use their information. In equilibrium banks choose portfolios which are neither fully opaque, nor fully transparent. However, their portfolios are excessively interconnected to obfuscate investor information. Banks can create a degree of opacity that decreases welfare, and makes bank crises more likely. Our model is suggestive about the implications of asset securitization, as well as government bailouts.

Suggested Citation

  • Babus, Ana & Farboodi, Maryam, 2020. "The Hidden Costs of Strategic Opacity," CEPR Discussion Papers 15079, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15079
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Opacity; Banking crises; Interdependent portfolios;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection

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