Bank stability and market discipline: The effect of contingent capital on risk taking and default probability

This paper investigates the e¤ects of ?nancial institutions issuing contingent capital, a debt security that automatically converts into equity if assets fall below a predetermined threshold. We decompose bank liabilities into sets of barrier op- tions and present closed-form solutions for their prices. We quantify the reduction in default probability associated with issuing contingent capital instead of subor- dinated debt. We then show that appropriate choice of contingent capital terms (in particular the conversion ratio) can virtually eliminate stockholders?incentives to risk-shift, a motivation that is present when bank liabilities instead include ei- ther subordinated debt or additional equity. Importantly, risk-taking incentives continue to be weak during times of ?nancial distress. Our ?ndings imply that contingent capital may be an e¤ective tool for stabilizing ?nancial institutions.