We study the differential impact of exchange rate volatility on cost efficiency and market structure when banks have non-trivial exposures to foreign currency operations. We use unique pre-war data on quarterly revaluations of assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies that Russian...

This paper investigates the phenomenon of hidden negative capital (HNC) associated with bank failures and introduces a product mismatch hypothesis to explain the formation of HNC. Given that troubled banks tend to hide negative capital in financial statements from regulators to keep their...

This paper investigates the phenomenon of hidden negative capital (HNC) associated with bank failures and introduces a product mismatch hypothesis to explain the formation of HNC. Given that troubled banks tend to hide negative capital in financial statements from regulators to keep their...

This paper investigates the cost efficiency of Russian banks with regard to their heterogeneity in terms of ownership form, capitalization and asset structure. Using bank-level quarterly data over the period 2005–2013, we perform stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and compute cost efficiency...

In 2013, the Central Bank of Russia started revoking licenses from fraudulent banks. By 2020, two-thirds of all operating banks had been shuttered. We analyze this unique period in history with credit register data. Following “sin” bank closure, poorly-performing “bad” firms rush to...