Shadow banks and the risk-taking channel of monetary policy transmission in the euro area

Abstract

Abstract We provide evidence for a risk-taking channel of monetary policy transmission in the euro area that works through an increase in shadow banks’ total asset growth and their risk assets ratio. Our dataset covers the period 2000Q1–2018Q3 and includes, in addition to the standard variables for real GDP growth, inflation, and the monetary policy stance, the aforementioned two indicators for the shadow banking sector. Based on vector autoregressive models for the euro area as a whole, we find a portfolio reallocation effect towards riskier assets and evidence for a general expansion of assets. Both effects last for roughly six quarters in the case of conventional monetary policy shocks, whereas for unconventional monetary policy shocks the responses are significant for two quarters only. Country-specific as well as sector-specific estimations confirm these findings for most of the euro area countries and all non-bank types, but also reveal some heterogeneity in the reaction of financial institutions.