Hedging Securities and Silicon Valley Bank Idiosyncrasies
Journal of Futures Markets, 2024
European Banking Authority Workshop 2023, Derivatives Markets Conference 2023, Korea Joint International Conference on Finance 2023, Temple University Brownbag Series 2024, Southwestern Finance Association 2024, Eastern Finance Association 2024, Financial Management Association 2024
Abstract: Hedging requires adequacy and timing. This paper finds that banks did not systematically ignore balance sheet risks like Silicon Valley Bank, and instead exercised risk management by asymmetrically increasing hedging activity when security losses increase and scaling back hedging activity as security losses reverse. Banks also hedge against bank runs when risk increases due to a combination of security losses and funding risks from unsecured deposits. Findings suggest Silicon Valley Bank’s mistakes are idiosyncratic. Results suggest that non-stress test banks target balance-sheet risks when hedging, stabilizing themselves from interest rate shocks transmitted through fixed-income securities. Scrutiny of rules-based outliers like SVB is preferable to increased regulatory burden for all non-stress test banks.