We analyze the impact of the countercyclical capital buffers held by banks on the supply of credit to firms and their subsequent performance. Countercyclical 'dynamic' provisioning unrelated to specific loan losses was introduced in Spain in 2000, and modified in 2005 and 2008. The resultant...

To study the impact of macroprudential policy on credit supply cycles and real effects, we analyze dynamic provisioning, which implies pro-cyclical bank capital regulation. Introduced in Spain in 2000, revised four times and tested in its counter-cyclicality during the crisis, it affected banks...