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Complexity and Riskiness of Banking Organizations: Evidence from the International Banking Research Network

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Abstract

Complexity of banks can have important ramifications for the performance and the risks of the banking system. Financial sector reforms that were implemented in the past decade have thus aimed to reduce and to better manage the risk implications of bank complexity. Yet, surprisingly little is known about changes in complexity across countries, its drivers, and its effects. The International Banking Research Network (IBRN) used data and analytical advances to generate rich cross-country insights on the complexity and riskiness of banking organizations. The initiative has yielded four key findings. First, the largest banks in countries tend to be the more complex ones. Even controlling for size, there is substantial diversity across banking organizations in terms of complexity choices. Second, over the past decade, banking organizations have tended to reduce complexity by limiting the number of affiliates in domestic and foreign locations. Generally, however, complexity patterns are fairly persistent. Third, regulatory changes can alter both banking organization complexity and the associated risk profiles. Fourth, the link between complexity and risks involves trade-offs: diversification benefits and reductions in liquidity risk may weigh against agency problems, monitoring costs, and systemic risk contributions arising from higher complexity.

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  • Claudia M. Buch & Linda S. Goldberg, 2021. "Complexity and Riskiness of Banking Organizations: Evidence from the International Banking Research Network," Staff Reports 966, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednsr:91625
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    Cited by:

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    2. Abad, Jorge & D’Errico, Marco & Killeen, Neill & Luz, Vera & Peltonen, Tuomas & Portes, Richard & Urbano, Teresa, 2022. "Mapping exposures of EU banks to the global shadow banking system," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    3. Apanisile Temitope Samuel, 2024. "The Justification of Complex Systems Analysis in Better Informing Project Decisions: A Study of the us Surface Transportation Board," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 11(8), pages 263-280, August.
    4. Correa, Ricardo & Goldberg, Linda S., 2022. "Bank complexity, governance, and risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    5. Apanisile Temitope Samuel, 2024. "The Effect of Quantitative Complexity Analysis on the Resilience of Nigerian Banks. Case Study: The Four Listed Nigerian Banks on the Premium Board of the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) for the Year 20," International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI), vol. 11(7), pages 17-71, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bank complexity; financial regulations; international banking; risks in banking;
    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
    • 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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