Christophe J. Godlewski

University of Strasbourg | UNISTRA · Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie

The last decade witnessed a wide expansion of Islamic finance in Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries. Sukuk issues, which are Islamic financial instruments structured to replicate the cash flows of conventional bonds, have notably proliferated, fuelling the debate on the similarity between Islamic and conventional finance. Using an event s...

We investigate the network structure of bank lending markets and evaluate the impact of lenders' network centrality, considered a measure of their experience and reputation, on borrowing costs. We show that the French market for syndicated bank loans is a 'small world' characterized by large local density and short social distances between lenders....

In this paper, we empirically investigate whether collateral mitigates adverse selection problems in a loan market. Theory predicts a negative relation between the presence of collateral and the interest spread of a loan. However, bankers’view and most empirical evidence contradict this prediction and support the observed-risk hypothesis instead. W...

We investigate the effects of private debt renegotiation on a firm’s performance and financial and investment policies. We employ endogenous switching regressions using a large cross-country sample of loans issued and amended over a long-term in Europe. We find that bank loan renegotiation has an economically significant and causal impact on financ...

We investigate the link between social media activity and market valuation of listed European companies over the period January 2018-June 2020. Using a large novel dataset from 39 European capital markets, we first provide a comprehensive "big picture" of social media activity of European listed companies, using data from all European capital marke...

We study how language affects private debt renegotiation. We predict that stronger future time reference (FTR) languages alter the importance of renegotiation risk by lowering the perceived value of loan renegotiation. We test this hypothesis on a sample of 6.500 loans issued to European firms between 1999 and 2017. We find that the use of a strong...

We investigate the impact of family firms on the cost of borrowing in East Asia. We find consistent evidence that family firms pay significantly higher loan spreads than nonfamily firms. This effect is stronger in environments with weaker investor protection. Furthermore, covenants help reduce the cost of debt while collateral is embedded in relati...

This paper studies how future tense marking affects the terms of bank loans. We predict that languages that grammatically mark the future affect speakers’ intertemporal preferences and thereby reduce the perception of the risks associated with loan issuance. We test this hypothesis on a sample of 977 bank loans from 17 European countries. We observ...

We study the influence of financial institutions’ network on private debt renegotiation. Lenders with a network-central position have access to superior private information, are more experienced and trustworthy and have a greater reputational capital. Using a large sample of more than 10.000 loans issued in 25 European countries we find that networ...

I investigate how legal and institutional conditions around loan origination influence a private debt renegotiation process. Using a large sample of 15,000 loans on the European credit market, I apply a sequential logit model to consider the renegotiation likelihood, the conditional probability of multiple renegotiation rounds or multiple amended t...

This study examines the design of financial contracts after renegotiations. It focuses on the degree of renegotiation as measured by the number of amendments to the contract. I find that the design of renegotiated financial contracts is not homogenous, although the most frequent amendments are to the loan’s amount and maturity. I show that the numb...

We study the effect of syndicated loan and bond announcements on the stock price of borrowers. No work since James (1987)on US data has compared the impact of both types of announcements on the same sample. Applying an event study methodology on a sample of companies from 17 Western European countries, we find that debt announcements tend to genera...

This paper studies how future tense marking affects the terms of bank loans. We predict that languages that grammatically mark the future affect speakers’ intertemporal preferences and thereby reduce the perception of the risks associated with loan issuance. We test this hypothesis on a sample of 2,601 bank loans from 20 European countries. We obse...

Social networks play an important role in mitigating informational frictions related to financial intermediation, especially bank lending. We investigate the effect of the network of financial institutions on the certification value of bank loans using data on syndicated loans to European companies. We find that the presence of more central leaders...

With the large expansion of Islamic finance in the recent years, sukuk, which are the Sharia-compliant substitute to conventional bonds, are now becoming more prominent. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of sukuk issuance on firm performance. To do so, we analyze how stock market performance and operating performance are influenced by...

I investigate whether and how initial conditions around loan origination influence private debt renegotiation process. I model the renegotiation likelihood, and the conditional probability of multiple renegotiation rounds or multiple amended terms using a sequential logit model. I use a large sample of 15,000 loans on the European credit market. I...

Sukuk, the shari’a-compliant alternative mode of financing to conventional bonds, have considerably expanded over the last decade. We analyze the stock market reaction to two key features of this instrument: sukuk type and characteristics of the shari’a scholar certifying the issue. We use the event study methodology to measure abnormal returns for...

Debt renegotiation matters for the borrower-lender relationship to ensure the credit agreement is regularly amended to include new information. I investigate the determinants of the dynamics of bank loan renegotiations using a sample of 1 600 amendments to private debt contracts in Europe. Employing a stratified Cox-type hazard model, I find that i...

By using a sample of bank loan renegotiations by European firms, I show that the renegotiation of financial contracts bears a certification value, while deeply changing the contractual features of the loan over time, to the benefit of shareholders. I find that amendments to financial covenants and to loan amounts increase the cumulative abnormal re...

This article provides empirical evidence on the determinants of multiple bank loan renegotiations in Europe over the last decade. It finds that renegotiations differ from those in the US in terms of frequency, amended terms, and first occurrence. Multiple renegotiations concern very large loans, which are funded by large pools of lenders with fewer...

Social networks and reputation play important roles in mitigating informational frictions related to financial intermediation, in particular bank lending. We investigate the effect of financial institutions’ network and reputation on the certification value of bank loans using data on syndicated loans to European companies. We find that the presenc...

There is a large expansion of sukuk, the shari’a-compliant alternative mode of financing compared to conventional bonds, in the recent years. We analyze if the stock market reaction to sukuk issues is influenced by two key features of these instruments: the sukuk type, and the characteristics of scholar advisors. To do so, we use the event study me...

Sukuk, the shari’a-compliant alternative mode of financing to conventional bonds, have expanded considerably over the last decade. We analyze the stock market reaction to two key features of this financial instrument: sukuk type and characteristics of the shari’a scholar certifying the issue. We use the event study methodology to measure abnormal r...

We investigate the impact of bank competition on the use of collateral in loan contracts. We analyze asymmetric information about the borrowers’ type in a Salop model in which banks choose between screening the borrower and asking for collateral. We show that the presence of collateral is more likely when bank competition is low. We then test this...

We investigate the influence of soft information on integrated risk management in banks. Risk management, capital budgeting and capital structure policies are performed by bank management using information on loan quality provided by a loan officer. The information can be a combination of hard and soft information, the latter being more precise but...

I investigate the determinants of the duration between bank loan renegotiations using a sample of 1 600 amendments to private debt contracts in Europe. The median duration between loan amendments equals one year, although frequently renegotiated contracts are amended every five months. Employing a stratified Cox-type hazard model, I find that initi...

We investigate the impact of bank loan announcements on borrower value during the recent boom and bust cycle of the 2000s using a sample of 253 large loans to French borrowers. We find a significant and negative stock market reaction to bank loan announcements during the Global Financial Crisis. Hence, although we document significant changes in ba...

Reputation of financial institutions is crucial for their activity and performance. Participant banks often rely on lead bank’s reputation in making future syndicated loan participation and lending decisions. We apply ordered probit regression techniques to a sample of more than 4,600 loans to investigate the determinants of participant banks reput...

Using a large sample of bank loan renegotiations by European firms, I show that renegotiation of financial contracts matters for shareholders and can increase their wealth. I find that amendments to financial covenants and to loan amounts increase borrower’s cumulative abnormal return by 10% to 15%. Early and less frequent renegotiations of bilater...

This paper considers whether information asymmetries affect the willingness of foreign banks to participate in syndicated loans to corporate borrowers in China. We analyze how ownership concentration, which influences information asymmetries in the relationship between the borrower and the lender, exerts an impact on the participation of foreign ba...

This paper examines motivations for large firms to choose an Islamic loan over a conventional loan. This investigation helps understanding the causes of the expansion of Islamic finance activities. We employ a dataset of Islamic and conventional syndicated loans from countries from the Middle East and from Southeast Asia for the period 2001-2009, t...

We investigate bank loans’ specialness with a particular focus on the recent boom and bust cycle. We perform an empirical analysis using event study methodology on a sample of 253 large loan announcements for French borrowers between January 2000 and December 2009. We find a significant and negative reaction to bank loan announcements which is most...

The last decade witnessed a proliferation in issues of sukuk, Islamic financial instruments structured to replicate the cash flows of conventional bonds. Using a market-based approach on Malaysian data, we consider whether investors react differently to the announcements of sukuk and conventional bond issues. Our findings suggest the stock market i...

We investigate the relationship between borrower quality and the structure of banking pools. We suppose that the level of coordination in the pool of banks is a credible signal of firm quality. We argue that better borrowers seek to disclose their quality in a credible way through the structure of the banking pool. We test our prediction using a sa...

This paper considers whether local bank participation exerts an impact on the spread for syndicated loans in Russia. Following Berger et al. (2001), we test whether local banks possess superior ability to deal with information asymmetries. Using a sample of 528 syndicated loans to Russian borrowers, we perform regressions of the spread on a set of...

This paper considers whether local bank participation exerts an impact on the spread for syndicated loans in Russia. Following Berger et al. (2001), we test whether local banks possess superior ability to deal with information asymmetries. Using a sample of 528 syndicated loans to Russian borrowers, we perform regressions of the spread on a set of...

We investigate bank loans’ specialness with a particular focus on the recent boom and bust cycle. We perform an empirical analysis using event study methodology on a sample of 253 large loan announcements for French borrowers between January 2000 and December 2009. We find a significant and negative reaction to bank loan announcements which is most...

This paper considers whether information asymmetries affect the willingness of foreign banks to participate in syndicated loans to corporate borrowers in China. In line with theoretical literature, ownership concentration of the borrowing firm is assumed to influence information asymmetries in the relationship between the borrower and the lender. W...

We investigate the relationship between borrower quality and the structure of the pool of banks. First, we develop a theoretical model where the size of the banking pool is a credible signal of firm quality. We argue that better borrowers seek to disclose their quality in a credible way through the structure of the banking pool involving fewer bank...

We empirically investigate the organizational determinants of the speed of a loan syndication process, with a particular focus on the influence of syndicate composition and organization. Indeed, the major advantage of syndicated lending is the speed with which the required funding can be obtained, while syndication composition and organization are...

The last decade has witnessed rapid expansion of Islamic financial instruments with notably the proliferation of Islamic investment certificates called Sukuk. Since Sukuk represent an alternative instrument to conventional bonds, it is of interest to evaluate the economic differences between these financing techniques and appraise the implications...

What is the influence of the banking environment on bank syndicate structure? We provide empirical evidence on this issue by examining the influence of several banking environment characteristics, including the structure of the banking market, financial development, banking regulation and supervision and legal risk, on the structure of bank syndica...

We investigate the network structure of syndicated lending markets and evaluate the impact of lenders’ network centrality, considered as measures of their experience and reputation, on borrowing costs. We show that the market for syndicated loans is a “small world” characterized by large local density and short social distances between lenders. Suc...

The last decade has witnessed rapid expansion of Islamic financial instruments, notably with the proliferation of Islamic investment certificates called Sukuk. Sukuk generally represent the Islamic financial instrument equivalent to conventional bonds. We evaluate the economic differences between these financing techniques and appraise the implicat...

We investigate the network structure of syndicated lending markets and evaluate the impact of lenders’ network centrality, considered as measures of their experience and reputation, on borrowing costs. We show that the market for syndicated loans is a “small world” characterized by large local density and short social distances between lenders. Suc...

This paper investigates stock market reaction to debt arrangements in Russia. The analysis of the valuation of debt arrangements by stock markets provides information about the use of debt by Russian companies. We apply the event study methodology to check whether debt announcements lead to abnormal returns using a sample of Russian listed companie...

We empirically investigate the determinants of lenders concentration providing bank loans to European borrowers. We analyze the influence of loan and borrower characteristics but also legal enforcement variables that are expected to influence the financial and strategic decisions related to bank lending concentration. We find that firms tend to div...

We empirically investigate the organizational determinants of the speed of a loan syndication process, with a particular focus on the influence of syndicate composition and organization. Indeed, the major advantage of syndicated lending is the speed with which the required funding can be obtained, while syndication composition and organization are...

The aim of this paper is to empirically investigate the determinants of creditor concentration in the use of bank loans by firms in a European cross-country framework. We analyze the influence of loan and borrower characteristics but also banking market structure and legal enforcement country-specific variables that are expected to influence the fi...

(VF)Dans cet article, nous étudions les facteurs susceptibles d’influencer la structure des syndicats bancaires en France, sur la période 1998-2006, et nous proposons un modèle empirique de cette structure, mesurée par la taille, la concentration et la réputation. Nous montrons que la structure des syndicats bancaires en France est influencée à la...

What is the influence of syndicate organization on the duration of loan arrangement? I answer this question using the survival analysis methodology on a sample of loans from 59 countries over the 1992-2006 period. I find that syndicate size, concentration, reputation, and national diversity clearly matters for the duration of loan arrangement and t...

What is the influence of syndicate structure on the duration of loan arrangement? I answer this question using survival analysis methodology on a sample of loans from 59 countries over the 1992-2006 period. I find that syndicate size, concentration, reputation, and national diversity clearly matters for the duration of loan arrangement. A syndicate...

We investigate the impact of bank competition on the use of collateral in loan contracts. We develop a theoretical model incorporating information asymmetries in a spatial competition framework where banks choose between screening the borrower and asking for collateral. We show that the presence of collateral is more likely when bank competition is...

There has been a considerable expansion of the volume of syndicated loans in emerging markets in the recent years. We provide the first analysis of the determinants of the decision of banks to syndicate a loan on a sample of loan facilities from 50 emerging countries. We show the significant role of loan characteristics and of financial development...

This paper empirically explores the influence of loan characteristics, banking and financial structure, and regulatory and institutional factors on the design of bank loan syndicates in emerging market economies. The results show that the structure of syndicates is adapted to enhance monitoring of the borrower and to increase the efficiency of reco...

We investigate the influence of loan and syndicate characteristics and information disclosure and legal environment factors on the arrangement timetable of bank loan syndications (measured as the time elapsed from the launching until the completion of the deal) from 68 countries over the 1992-2006 period. Employing accelerated failure time models f...

Bank loan syndicate structure can be considered as an organizational response to agency problems stemming from the syndication process. The banking environment also influences the syndication process. We investigate how syndicate structure is influenced by the characteristics of the banking environment, such as banking market structure, financial d...

This paper tackles the question of knowing whether collateral helps solve adverse selection problems in transition countries. We use a unique dataset of about 400 bank loans from 16 transition countries. Our findings support the view of a positive link between the presence of collateral and the risk premium, which is in accordance with the observed...

What is the influence of syndicate organization on the duration of a loan syndication process? We answer this question using the survival analysis methodology on a sample of loans to borrowers from 59 countries. We find that syndicate size, concentration, experience, reputation, and national diversity clearly matters for the duration of a syndicati...

We investigate the impact of bank competition on the use of collateral in loan contracts. We develop a theoretical model incorporating information asymmetries in a spatial competition framework where banks choose between screening the borrower and asking for collateral. We show that presence of collateral is more likely when bank competition is low...

I modify the uniform-price auction rules in allowing the seller to ration bidders. This allows me to provide a strategic foundation for underpricing when the seller has an interest in ownership dispersion. Moreover, many of the so-called "collusive-seeming" equilibria disappear.

We empirically explore the influence of loan characteristics, banking and financial structure, and regulatory and institutional factors on the design of 10,930 bank loan syndicates in emerging market economies from 1990 to 2006. Our results show that the structure of syndicates is adapted to enhance monitoring of the borrower and to increase the ef...

The role of agency ratings as a market-disciplining device, through the production of information on default risk, should grow within Pillar 3 of the Basel II reform. For the role to be efficient, the rating must be effectively consistent with the counterpart's default probability, particularly for emerging markets, where less-developed financial m...

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the validity of some behavioral conjectures as alternative explanations of bank risk-taking behavior. We especially focus on the different valuation of gains and losses relative to a reference point, and the changing attitude toward risk conditional on the domain (gains vs losses) features (Tversky and Ka...

On étudie dans cet article les facteurs susceptibles d’influencer la décision de syndiquer un prêt bancaire en France sur la période 1990-2006. On propose un modèle empirique de la syndication bancaire en intégrant les caractéristiques du contrat de prêt ainsi que des variables de structure bancaire et financière. La taille, le type, le motif et le...

Regulatory and institutional environment is not without effect on a bank's risk taking and therefore on a bank's default. In this article, we investigate regulatory and institutional determinants of credit risk taking and bank's default probability in emerging market economies. Using a two step logit model applied to a database of banks from emergi...

The role of information’s processing in bank intermediation is a crucial input. The bank has access to different types of information in order to manage risk through capital allocation for Value at Risk coverage. Hard information, contained in balance sheet data and produced with credit scoring, is quantitative and verifiable. Soft information, pro...

This research is concerned with internal and external determinants as well as control mechanisms of risk taking. We particularly focus on the role of bank corporate governance and organization, as well as banking regulation, institutional and legal environment, and market structure and discipline. We contribute in several ways to the field of risk...

The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between bank capital and credit risk taking in emerging market economies. It also investigates the influence of several regulatory , institutional and legal features on the relationship between risk and capital. The paper applies a simultaneous equations framework following Shriev...

Le rôle du traitement de l’information dans le cadre de l’intermédiation bancaire est de première importance. La banque peut accéder à différents types d’information pour appréhender la gestion du risque par couverture de la Value at Risk par allocation de fonds propres. L’information hard, contenue dans les documents comptables et produite grâce à...

The last 20 years have witnessed several bank failures throughout the world, particularly in emerging market economies (EMEs) (Bell and Pain, 2000).The interest in bank failures comes mainly from their costs: financial losses for the stakeholders (shareholders, clients and deposit insurance funds),loss of competitiveness and potential destabilizati...

This work follows the early warning signals literature. We propose to test the validity of the CAMEL rating typology for banks’ default models in emerging markets. We focus explicitly on these types of economies and we also investigate the impact of several regulatory, institutional, and legal factors on banks’ default probability. Using a logit mo...

In this paper we investigate the coherence between bank ratings and default probability in emerging market economies using scoring and mapping techniques. In order to achieve its disciplining role, the rating should be coherent with the default risk it summarizes and disseminate. This issue is particularly crucial in emerging economies where under-...

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the validity of some behavioral conjectures as alternative explanations of bank risk-taking behavior. We especially focus on the different valuation of gains and losses relative to a reference point, and the changing attitude toward risk conditional on the domain (gains vs losses) features (Tversky and Ka...

Notre travail s’inscrit dans le courant consacré à la prévision de la défaillance bancaire. Il se propose de tester la validité de la typologie de type CAMEL dans le cadre de la modélisation de la prévision du défaut bancaire dans les pays émergents. Son originalité réside dans l’application aux pays émergents, et dans l’intégration de variables su...

The primary purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between bank capital and credit risk taking in emerging market economies. We also investigate the influence of several regulatory, institutional and legal features on the relationship between risk and capital. We apply a simultaneous equations framework following Shrieves and Da...

This article investigates the impact of institutional and regulatory factors on banks' default in emerging market economies. Few studies have investigated bank default in these economies. Although, the quality of institutions which determine investors' protection and bank regulation's efficiency can condition the level of risk taking and, therefore...

One studies the role of the data processing within the framework of the banking financial intermediation. In this context, one is interested in the various solutions adopted by the banks vis-a-vis with the various types of imperfections of information. One then tries to highlight various dimensions and natures of information available and produced,...

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the regulatory and institutional factors which may increase excessive risk taking in banks. Few studies deal with the impact of these external factors on bank's risk taking and probability of default, despite the fact that empirical investigation is crucial for understanding the relationship between the r...

This article proposes to apply the methodology of scoring and calibration in order to study the coherence of the ratings of banks with a model of defect of the banks in the emergent countries. Indeed, the role of the rating in time that vector of discipline of market, via the vehiculation of information on the risk of defect, should grow within the...

Cet article étudie l'impact des facteurs institutionnels et réglementaires sur la défaillance des banques des pays émergents. Peu de travaux se sont intéressés à la défaillance bancaire dans ces pays. Or, la qualité des institutions telles que les commissions de régulation et de surveillance prudentielles ou les assureurs des dépôts, peut y favoris...

The regulatory and institutional environment may influence bank risk taking behavior, especially in emerging market economies. The resulting excess risk may hamper bank stability. This article investigates the influence of institutional factors on bank's excess risk and ratings, particularly Moody's Bank Financial Strength Rating (BFSR). Following...

This paper calculates indices of central bank autonomy (CBA) for 163 central banks as of end-2003, and comparable indices for a subgroup of 68 central banks as of the end of the 1980s. The results confirm strong improvements in both economic and political CBA over the past couple of decades, although more progress is needed to boost political auton...

Cet article propose d’appliquer la méthodologie de scoring et de calibrage afin d’étudier la cohérence des ratings de banques avec un modèle de défaut des banques dans les pays émergents. En effet, le rôle du rating en temps que vecteur de discipline de marché, via la véhiculation d’informations sur le risque de défaut, devrait croître dans le cadr...

L’environnement réglementaire et institutionnel influence la prise de risque du banquier, particulièrement dans les pays émergents. L’excès de risque qui peut en résulter fragilise considérablement la solidité bancaire. Cet article étudie l’influence des facteurs institutionnels sur l’excès de risque et le rating de banques, plus particulièrement l...

Our work follows the early warning signals litterature. We propose to test the validity of the CAMEL rating typology for bank's default modelisation in emerging markets. We focus explicitely on this type of economies. Using a logit model applied to a database of defaulted banks in emerging markets, we find the principle results of the early warning...