Bank regulators limit the amount of deferred tax assets includable in the capital ratio calculations which measure the bank’s financial health. The increased balances in bank deferred tax assets after the beginning of the financial crisis raised concerns that applying this deferred tax asset regulatory capital limitation may contribute to the need for banks to raise more capital. Value relevance is the ability of information disclosed in the financial statements to capture and summarize firm value. Deferred tax value relevance literature generally omits the regulated industries. Because fair value accounting plays a much larger role the banking industry, the market value of a bank has a different relationship to its book value than its unregulated counterparts. Using annual bank data from 2004 through 2012 for publicly held banks in the United States, this study empirically examines the value relevance of the banks’ net deferred tax assets and liabilities over time (pre-crisis versus crisis periods). Findings indicate that although the deferred tax liabilities are value relevant in both the pre-crisis and crisis periods, the value relevance of the net deferred tax assets is limited to crisis period (increased net deferred tax asset balances). An additional test shows that investors view the increased levels of net deferred tax assets in relation to total assets as concerns about the bank’s financial health. This study also examines the whether investors value the net deferred tax assets of less financially healthy banks (low Tier I capital ratios) differently from the healthier banks. Findings indicate that the coefficient of net deferred tax assets for the less financially healthy banks is negative and significant. Using another measure of financial health (high probability of failure) finds similar results. This study extends the value relevance literature to the deferred tax accounts of commercial banks. It also shows that the deferred tax asset accounts are valued differently than the other assets, supporting the deferred tax asset limitation for capital ratio calculations. Finally, this study provides information useful to analysts’ valuations of the banks’ deferred tax accounts.

<p>In Chapter 1, I review the existing literature on the investor and contracting usefulness of other comprehensive income (OCI) components. In Chapter 2, I perform empirical tests focused on one aspect of investor usefulness of accounting information: risk-relevance. I examine whether OCI component volatilities are associated with investors' returns volatility using a sample of bank holding companies from 1998 to 2012. The results indicate that the volatilities of unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale (AFS) securities and cash-flow hedges, typically deemed beyond managers' control, are negatively associated with risk, while volatilities of OTTI losses, over which managers have relatively more control, are positively associated with risk. The results are consistent with investors perceiving the volatility of non-OTTI AFS unrealized gains and losses as relatively less important, less risky, or less risk-relevant, than the volatility of OTTI losses, and perceiving the volatility of OTTI losses as an informative signal about risk. In Chapter 3, I find that Tier 1 Capital including more components of accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI), as stipulated by Basel III, is no more volatile than pre-Basel-III Tier 1 Capital, and that the volatilities of the AOCI components new to Tier 1 Capital are not positively associated with risk. In Chapter 4, I discuss future research.</p> / Dissertation

Sammanfattning – ”Finansinspektionens krav på högre kärnprimärkapital: En studie av de svenska storbankerna” Datum: 2013-05-31 Nivå: Kandidatuppsats i företagsekonomi, 15 ECTS Institution: Akademin för ekonomi, samhälle och teknik, EST, Mälardalens Högskola Författare: Frida Hoffmann &amp; Kajsa Ljungqvist Jansson Titel: Finansinspektionens krav på högre kärnprimärkapital: En studie av de svenska storbankerna Handledare: Staffan Boström Nyckelord: Kärnprimärkapital, de svenska storbankerna, Finansinspektionen Frågeställning: Vilka strategier har de svenska storbankerna använt sig av för att uppnå kravet på högre kärnprimärkapital samt fördela kostnaderna som medföljer? Vilka konsekvenser har det hittills fått för bankerna då de redan börjat anpassa sig till kravet? Syfte: Syftet med studien är att beskriva vilka strategier som legat till grund för att de fyra svenska storbankerna skall klara av det högre kravet på kärnprimärkapital som Finansinspektionen ställer. Undersökningen ämnar även utvärdera vilka konsekvenser förändringarna har fått hittills för bankerna och vem som har belastats med kostnaden för det ökade kärnprimärkapitalet. Metod: Metoden som använts var av kvalitativ karaktär där sekundärdata som samlats in varit från böcker, rapporter och artiklar. Primärdata har samlats in från personliga intervjuer och analyserades sedan med hjälp av sekundära datan. Slutsats: De svenska storbankerna har implementerat tydliga strategier för att uppfylla Finansinspektionens krav. Det visade sig att de banker som använt sig av att se över sin prissättning också var de banker som ligger i topp vad gäller kärnprimärkapitalrelationen. Konsekvensen av det nya kravet har blivit ett större fokus på att ha rätt kunder samt kostnadsfokus för att på så vis täcka upp för de kostnader som kravet medför. / Abstract – “The higher demand on Core tier 1 capital from Finansinspektionen:                 study of the major Swedish banks”  Date: 2013-05-31 Level: Bachelor thesis in business administration, 15 ECTS Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering Authors: Frida Hoffmann &amp; Kajsa Ljungqvist Jansson Title: The higher demand on Core tier 1 capital from Finansinspektionen: study of the major Swedish banks Tuthor: Staffan Boström Keywords: Core tier 1 capital, the four major Swedish banks, Finansinspektionen Research Question: What strategies have the four major Swedish banks used to fulfill the recommendations from Finansinspektionen regarding higher level of Core tier 1 capital and how have they allocated the costs included? What consequences have the banks experienced so far as they have started to adjust to the new requirements? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe what strategies have formed the basis of the four major Swedish banks to manage with the increasing demands on the Core tier 1 capital from Finansinspektionen. The study also intends to evaluate what consequences the changes have had so far and who have been charged with the costs that the demand brings. Method: The method used was of a qualitative nature where the secondary data collected was from books and reports. The primary data collected was from personal interviews and was then later analyzed using the secondary data collected. Conclusion: All of the major Swedish banks now meet the requirements that Finansinspektionen imposes on its Core tier 1 capital. The numbers that differ between banks depends on what strategy has been used. It was found during the study that the banks that revised their pricing was also the banks that are at the top in terms of Core tier 1 capital ratio. The consequence of the new requirement appears to have been a greater focus on having the right customers and the right cost to manage the costs that the new requirement brings.

A partir d’une analyse du défaut des banques et de la régulation au travers des notations de crédits (et des agences de notation), des modèles portant sur les CDS, de Bâle III et du capital insurance, nous trouvons que les spécificités des CDS en font un bon candidat pour prévoir (et idéalement empêcher) les défauts potentiels des banques. En effet, grâce aux propriétés (financières et économiques) des CDS, ainsi qu’aux résultats d’études empiriques, nous montrons qu’ils reflètent correctement le comportement des risques des banques et qu’ils ont capté les changements informationnels plus rapidement que les notations de crédits qui sont restées relativement constantes durant 2007 et 2008.Ainsi, en utilisant un déclencheur ad hoc basé sur les CDS et l’action appropriée si le déclencheur venait à s’activer, nous pourrions empêcher le défaut d’une banque. Et la compréhension du mécanisme afférent au capital contingent est d’un grand intérêt pour atteindre cet objectif qui optimise le monitoring mis en oeuvre par les banques et les régulateurs. / Based on an analysis of the default of the banks and regulation through credit ratings (and rating agencies), CDS models, Basel III, bail-In and capital insurance, we find that the characteristics of CDS make them a good candidate to forecast (and ideally prevent) the potential defaults of the banks. Indeed, thanks to the economics of CDS and results of empirical studies, we show that they are a good proxy of bank risks and that they did capture information changes more quickly than the credit ratings which remained relatively constant during 2007 and 2008.So, using a specific trigger based on CDS and the appropriate action, should the trigger be activated, we could prevent the default of a bank. And the understanding of contingent capital mechanism is of great interest to reach this objective which optimizes the monitoring implemented by banks as well as regulators.

資本適足率（capital adequacy ratio，即實業界所稱之BIS比率）為金融界評估商銀風險之重要指標，在反映資本結構以至於倒閉風險的意義上，相較於財務分析常用的權益值對總資產比率，BIS比率應是一個更精確的指標。本研究先藉資本市場銀行股長天期窗口超額報酬率反映投資人所要求報酬中之風險貼水，探討投資人是否可以引用資本適足率衡量國內商銀的倒閉風險與流動性風險。此外，本研究亦針對壞帳費用與票券買賣損益兩項富裁量空間之科目，分析國內商業銀行策略性操縱帳面盈餘與資本問題。最後，就現行我國資本適足率規定之缺失，作進一步之檢討，並檢測調整部份風險性資產之風險權數後，對資本適足率解釋投資人所要求必要報酬間關係之影響。 實證結果發現，不論是商銀呈報金融主管機關之資本適足率，或是就銀行所發布資料，儘可能比照公訂資本適足率核算辦法所自行設算、不含資產負債表外風險性資產所計算之比值，甚至自行設算、僅考慮自有資本中之第一類資本（Tier 1 Capital）估算值，均與商銀股市超額報酬有顯著之負血關係，顯示資本適足率對投資人而言，屬攸關資訊，能幫助評估銀行倒閉風險，進而決定其所要求之必要報酬率。又國內商銀中，民營銀行股超額報酬對資本適足率之迴歸係數，較公營銀行更具負向關係，而民國八十一年後新成立之銀行對資本適足率之迴歸係數，亦較八十一年前成立之舊銀行更具負向關係，而景氣較蕭條時，資本適足率與報酬間之關係並未較繁榮期敏感。 在盈餘與資本調控部份，或因使用不同調控工具之成本差異，致使商業銀行在帳面資本不足時，傾向于增加提列壞帳費用；另一方面，銀行似乎為了損益平穩化之目的，而以多實現或少實現票券買賣損益作為調控當期盈餘之工具，此兩項潛在之盈餘調控工具，彼此間有著相互替代代，惟因實現票券買賣損益之成本因時而異，國內商業銀行引用此兩項工具相互替補的程度實隨資本市場榮枯而改變。在估算國內商銀壞帳費用不可裁量部份時，本研究發現以上期壞帳、本期逾催收款、應收匯兌承兌款及無擔保放款餘額估計壞帳，比過動國外文獻所採變數組更恰當。 / This thesis empirically examines the explanatory power of capital adequacy ratio (BIS ratio) to Taiwan's commercial bank long-windowed returns minus risk-free rates (hereafter excess return), investigating whether the ratio serves to measure the level of risk of these banks equity securities. Findings indicate the followings: (1) ceteris paribus, long-windowed bank returns negatively correlate with each and every measure of BIS ratio in this study. These results are consistent with the notion that capital adequacy ratio conveys relevant information regarding the bank shareholders risk; (2) required rate of security returns appears to be more (less) sensitive to the BIS ratio for banks founded after (prior to) 1992 and for non-state-owned (state-owned) commercial banks; (3) there is not corroborative evidence that macro-economic variables have incremental explanatory power to the regression coefficient for the BIS ratio. Further, by identifying and examining the potential discretionary components of Taiwan's commercial bank loan loss provisions (LLPs) and securities gains and losses (RSGs), this study aims at exploring these banks' accruals management practices. Robust against various sensitivity tests, empirical findings support the notion that commercial banks strategically increase their LLPs to avoid unfavorable capital adequacy ratios. On the other hand, this study finds these banks smooth reported earnings via RSGs. Moreover, our evidence is consistent with the hypothesis that LLPs and RSGs serve as substitutes for each other in commercial bank accruals management. However, the extent these banks exercise discretion via either measure varies with domestic capital market performance. For tests in this study, the specification of simultaneous equations outperforms the competing ordinary least square regression models. This study also provides an innovative design for estimating bank loan loss provisions. As compared with competing designs, our model, which relates commercial bank LLPs to non-performing assets, unsecured loans, accrued acceptances and prior-period loan loss provisions, produce a more efficient predictor for Taiwan's commercial bank LLPs.

Bakgrund: En ny reglering har införts den 1 januari 2018, vilket är IFRS 9 finansiella instrument som ersätter IAS 39. Värdering och redovisning förändras från en objektiv till en subjektiv bedömning av kreditförluster. Syfte: Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilken effekt IFRS 9 har på svenska banker efter införandet. Studien undersöker även om effekten varierar beroende av bankers storlek. Metod: För att uppnå studiens syfte har en kvantitativ studie med deduktiv ansats tillämpats. Sekundärdata har inhämtats ur bankernas årsredovisningar för 2018 från respektive hemsida. Banker som ingår i studien är 43 svenska banker som står under Finansinspektionens tillsyn. Studiens tre hypoteser testades med hjälp av ttest, där parvis observation gjordes mellan åren 2017 och 2018. Resultat och slutsats: Resultatet visade en signifikant förändring av totala kapitalrelationen och kärnprimärkapitalrelationen i de större bankerna, vilka nyckeltalen var lägre efter införandet av IFRS 9. Egna kapitalet, kreditförlusterna och soliditeten kunde inte visa någon signifikant förändring. Slutsats av studiens resultat är att införandet av IFRS 9 haft en marginell effekt på svenska banker. / Background: The new regulation IFRS 9 has replaced IAS 39. The new regulation is subjective, forward-looking, compared with the old, objective model. Purpose: The purpose of our study was to investigate the effect IFRS 9 has on Swedish banks after the transition. Another aim is to study the effect of IFRS 9 on different bank sizes. Method: To achieve the purpose of the study, a quantitative method has been applied. Data has been obtained from annual reports for the year of 2018. The data consist of shareholders equity, balance sheet total and reported loan losses. Hypothesis testing has been done by using t-test Result and conclusion: The results can support a week significant positive effect on Tier 1 capital and capital adequacy ratio from large banks. No results could be found for Shareholders equity, Credit loss or Solidity.

Syfte: Att påvisa eventuella förändringar på svenska bankaktiebolags förväntade kreditförluster, kärnprimärkapitalrelation samt utlåning till allmänheten under inledningen av Covid-19-pandemin, för att belysa den praktiska tillämpningen av IFRS 9 under en period av ekonomisk kris. Metod: Denna studie applicerar en kvantitativ forskningsstrategi där tre hypoteser deduceras utifrån tidigare forskning. Vidare används en longitudinell design där empiri inhämtas manuellt från svenska bankaktiebolags finansiella rapporter. Parade t-test används för att undersöka statistisk signifikans mellan slutet av räkenskapsåret 2019 och första halvåret 2020.  Resultat &amp; slutsats: Resultaten visar en ökning av både förväntade kreditförluster och utlåning till allmänheten under Covid-19-pandemins inledning där resultaten är av statistisk signifikans. Vidare visar kärnprimärkapitalrelationen ingen signifikant ökning eller minskning under inledningen av Covid-19-pandemin. Slutsatsen är att IFRS 9 till synes har påverkats av interventioner från internationella myndigheter varför konklusionerna gällande den första ekonomiska krisen sedan införandet av IFRS 9 inte kan projiceras autonomt.  Examensarbetets bidrag: Studiens teoretiska bidrag består av att belysa det implicerade utfallet av IFRS 9 under den första ekonomiska krisen sedan införandet av redovisningsstandarden. Det teoretiska bidraget sträcker sig också till att applicera Intressent- och Legitimitetsteorin på svenska bankaktiebolag med avstamp i tillfredsställandet av deras huvudintressenter samt legitimering gentemot samhället. Det främsta praktiska bidraget riktar sig gentemot samhället i stort där bankerna innehar en central ställning. Även IASB, EBA och andra redovisningsreglerare och -granskare torde vara intresserade av resultaten för att komparera dessa mot avsedda intentioner.  Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Framtida forskning kan bedrivas på andra banker inom EU samt kring Covid-19-pandemins senare skeden och dess efterdyningar. Även de potentiella procykliska effekterna av bankernas förhöjda nivå av förväntade kreditförluster kan studeras för att utforska dess inverkan. / Aim: To exhibit any changes on Swedish banking limited companies' expected credit losses, Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio and lending to the public sector in the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, to illustrate the practical application of IFRS 9 during a period of economic crisis.  Method: The study applies a quantitative research strategy where three hypotheses are deducted based on previous research. Furthermore, a longitudinal design is used where empirical data is obtained manually from Swedish banking limited companies’ financial reports. Paired t-tests are used to examine statistical significance between the end of the fiscal year 2019 and the first half of 2020. Result &amp; Conclusion: The results show an increase in both expected credit losses and lending to the public during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, where the results are statistically significant. Furthermore, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio does not show a significant increase or decrease during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The conclusion is that IFRS 9 likely has been affected by interventions from international authorities, which is why the implications regarding the first economic crisis since the introduction of IFRS 9 cannot be projected autonomously.  Contribution of the thesis: The study's theoretical contribution consists of highlighting the implied outcome of IFRS 9 during the first economic crisis since the introduction of the accounting standard. The theoretical contribution also extends to applying the Stakeholder and Legitimacy Theory on Swedish banking limited companies based on the satisfaction of their main stakeholders as well as legitimation towards society. The main practical contribution is directed towards the society in a wider perspective, where the banks hold a central position. The IASB, EBA and other accounting regulators and supervisors should also be interested in the results to compare these with its intentions. Suggestions for future research: Further research can be conducted on other banks within the EU as well as on the later stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The potential procyclical effects of the banks’ increased level of expected credit losses can also be studied to explore its impact.