FAIR VALUE ACCOUNTING AND PROCYCLICALITY: ACCOUNTING FOR SECURITIZATION

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine whether fair value accounting promotes procyclicality by focusing on securitization transactions before the financial crisis. This study demonstrates the relationship between securitization accounting and procyclicality using a parsimonious model. The findings are as follows. Sale accounting increases the capital ratio compared with that before a securitization transaction. Banks’ executives have incentives to increase both assets and debt within the limits of their target capital ratio (leverage ratio) for executive compensation and market reputation; assets (lending) will be increased. When banks conduct securitization transactions and adopt sale accounting to enhance short-term profits, the capital ratio increases under the certain condition. Thus, banks will increase assets (lending) within the limit of their target capital ratio (leverage ratio). As banks increase and expand their lending during economic booms, the economic booms are accelerated. It is expected that both sale accounting and fair value accounting promote procyclicality during economic booms.

Keywords: Fair Value Accounting, Procyclicality, Securitization Transactions, Sale Accounting

How to cite this paper: Kusano, M. (2013). Fair value accounting and procyclicality: accounting for securitization. Corporate Ownership & Control, 11(1-6), 535-547. https://doi.org/10.22495/cocv11i1c6art1