Capital Illogic

More Bank Capital Could Kill the Economy write Tim Congdon in addition to the unremarkably sensible Steve Hanke inwards today's Wall Street Journal.

I was expecting a quantitative disagreement on plausible channels -- some explicit violation of the Modigliani Miller theorem, some argue that splitting the pizza into 8 slices rather than iv volition aid your diet, some declaration that human relationship lending is inherently tied to short-term funding, in addition to and thence forth. Instead, nosotros got treated to 1 of the most illogical conclusions I've seen on the WSJ pages for a long time.


This is a truly of import declaration to revisit, at a truly sensitive time.  Right now, the Administration wants to rethink Dodd-Frank. Great. But they could become inwards 2 ways: 2) increment working capital missive of the alphabet a lot, in addition to larn rid of all the intrusive in addition to stultifying run a jeopardy rule in addition to anti-competitive regulation; 2) bring down working capital missive of the alphabet requirements a lot, in addition to thence the big banks become on an orgy of government-guaranteed borrowing in addition to risky investment. From my last post yous tin run into it going either way. Anti-capital fallacies only pour slops into the instant trough.

Their argument:
Here’s what truly went incorrect inwards the autumn of 2008... Regulators were inwards such a panic that they hastily increased banks’ working capital missive of the alphabet requirements from 4% to 7%, without thinking through the long-term ramifications.
There are 2 ways for banks to heighten their capital-to-asset ratios: yesteryear increasing working capital missive of the alphabet or decreasing assets. Which is most probable during a crisis? Issuing novel equity or bonds would live hard nether crisis conditions, in addition to thence banks volition instead shed risky assets. In belatedly 2008 in addition to early on 2009 that meant a drib inwards lending to the somebody sector in addition to a credit squeeze. As businesses repaid loans, novel ones were non issued inwards their house in addition to the quantity of coin inwards the economic scheme fell. That striking demand, spending in addition to jobs, only every bit it had inwards the Great Depression.
What was the fallout? In the 5 years preceding Oct 2008, banking concern lending to the somebody sector had soared yesteryear to a greater extent than than 75%, according to Fed data, from $4.2 trillion to $7.4 trillion. In the 5 years after, banking concern lending stagnated, increasing yesteryear less than 10%.   
The stock of loans truly went downwardly during the commencement 2 years of this period, the only fourth dimension such a affair has happened on a pregnant scale since the 1930s. The reversal was most extreme for industrial in addition to commercial loans, which plunged from $1.6 trillion at the terminate of Oct 2008 to $1.2 trillion 2 years later. 
...The blame for this credit compaction falls on the Fed, acting inwards concert amongst the Bank for International Settlement 
Let's travel out aside quibbling nearly the facts -- only what working capital missive of the alphabet requirement they are talking about, when it it, in addition to and thence forth. Leave aside the peachy declaration whether whatever of this fifty-fifty happened inwards the crisis -- whether regulatory working capital missive of the alphabet constraints were binding (the banks said no), in addition to whether banks every bit a whole shed risky assets. Leave aside the "the quantity of coin inwards the economic scheme fell," in addition to ignore the graph below:




Consider the logic of the argument. H5N1 ascent inwards working capital missive of the alphabet requirements inwards Fall 2008, singlehandedly caused a "credit crunch," in addition to lending to "plunge," in addition to banking concern lending to "stagnate" for 5 years. Among other influences non held constant here, allow us non forget the TARP, which, similar it non (I don't) gave the banks a massive shot of... capital.
That brings us to Mr. Kashkari’s proposal to farther double working capital missive of the alphabet requirements. What mightiness tumble out if the Trump direction enacted his plan? Bank stocks would accept some other dive. They would honor it impossible to heighten novel working capital missive of the alphabet through equity or bond issues, in addition to thence they would live forced to shed assets. As inwards 2009 in addition to 2010, banks would decline applications for novel loans. They mightiness become in addition to thence far every bit to wriggle out of contracts for existing loans in addition to inquire for early on repayment.
(Kashkari in addition to a lot of others I mightiness banker's complaint -- peculiarly the courageous Admati in addition to Hellwig, in addition to on the political side Jeb Hensarling. )

Here yous run into the deep illogic of the oped: It concludes, from the assertion that banks inwards the middle of a in 1 lawsuit per one-half century fiscal crisis, cannot heighten working capital missive of the alphabet inwards a calendar week yesteryear way other than selling assets (even if that assertion is true), that banks cannot over 5 years or more, of normal in addition to well for yous fiscal markets, heighten adequate working capital missive of the alphabet to acquit the brunt of the adjacent crisis without cutting lending.

Banks receive got many ways to heighten working capital missive of the alphabet inwards surgical physical care for markets, in addition to fifty-fifty inwards relatively dysfunctional markets. Even inwards 2007, if retention serves me right (there was a Bloomberg.com article on this I can't honor right now, I welcome a source), banks raised something similar a trillion dollars of novel equity, inwards fellowship to comprehend losses inwards their property positions. When buyers come upward in addition to accept over a bank, that is an equity injection. Lehman itself was poised to live bought inwards this way, until Great Britain regulators nixed the deal. Banks tin bring down dividend payments, which increases the sum value of equity, or big payouts to senior employees. If banks aren't lending, inwards a functional regulatory marketplace (not ours) novel banks tin IPO in addition to accept over their business. In 2 weeks, inwards the middle of a crisis? Maybe not. In 5 years? That does non follow.

Yes, inwards a city-wide conflagration, "Everybody run downwardly to Home Depot, purchase in addition to install sprinklers,  and select handgrip of a carful of burn extinguishers" is non going to work. It does non follow that inwards the 5 next years a metropolis code that requires sprinkler retrofits in addition to burn extinguishers cannot halt the adjacent burn from happening.

And truly -- after all the stress tests, after all the slow, modulated, carefully pre announced working capital missive of the alphabet raises yesteryear the Fed in addition to others, create yous truly shout back banks would live faced amongst an overnight, increment working capital missive of the alphabet yesteryear tomorrow forenoon or else? I know regulators tin live a chip thick at times, but non that much!
Banks receive got been required to handgrip to a greater extent than working capital missive of the alphabet against their risky assets, inwards the belief that this would brand them—and the economy—safer. 
Yes, love sirs, in addition to that is an alone right belief!  Deeply, Congdon in addition to Hanke missy the point of capital: it offers superior returns on average, but takes the losses inwards a crisis without needing regulators to spot the crisis, prop upward markets, inject capital, lend of terminal resort, bailout in addition to and thence forth. It's non only at that spot to paste upward the works! This is alone missing inwards the article. Not plenty working capital missive of the alphabet did indeed movement the crisis. If banks had xx part working capital missive of the alphabet going in, at that spot would receive got been no crisis, in addition to no bailouts, because no banking concern would receive got gone under.

Anytime a commentator writes "hold" working capital missive of the alphabet yous know pitiful logic is coming. Capital is a origin of funds, non a exercise of funds. Capital is non reserves.



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