This study examines whether the transition from a system of multiple issuing banks to a monopoly on currency issuance was a step in the Bank of Spain’s becoming a central bank in the true sense of the word (a non-profit-maximizing institution); or on the contrary, whether the Bank used its...

We study determinants of sovereign portfolios of Spanish banks over a long time-span, starting in 2008. Our findings challenge the view that banks engaged in moral hazard strategies to exploit the regulatory treatment of sovereign exposures. In particular, we show that being a weakly capitalized...

This Analysis presents in plain language the main features of the Asset Quality Review and the EU-wide stress test 2014 and discusses some key issues in the interpretation of the forthcoming 2014 stress test results. It comments on selected policy issues in the implementation of the asset...