Skip to main content

Impact of Japanese Banks' Strategic Stockholdings on their Cost of Capital

May 16, 2017
Kei Ikeda*

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the impact of banks' strategic stockholdings on their cost of equity capital using the framework of Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) theory employing panel data from 2006 to 2015 on internationally active Japanese banks. The results of our analysis show that strategic stockholdings could raise the cost of equity capital. Strategic stockholdings put upward pressure on β in CAPM theory by increasing the volatility of returns on banks' share prices, and increasing the correlation between returns on banks' share prices and returns on a market portfolio. Although it is argued that the cost of equity capital of Japanese banks is generally higher than that of U.S. banks, our estimation results suggest that if Japanese banks decreased the share of strategic stockholdings to the same level as U.S. peers, the gap between the cost of equity capital in Japan and the U.S. could reduce to a certain extent.

The author is grateful for the helpful comments from Hibiki Ichiue, Arito Ono (Chuo University), Tomiyuki Kitamura, Takeshi Kimura, Yoshihiro Komaki, Teppei Nagano, Yoshiyuki Fukuda, and Hitoshi Mio. Any remaining errors are the sole responsibility of the author. The views expressed herein are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Bank of Japan.

  • Financial System and Bank Examination Department, Bank of Japan
    E-mail : kei.ikeda@boj.or.jp

Notice

Papers in the Bank of Japan Working Paper Series are circulated in order to stimulate discussion and comments. Views expressed are those of authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Bank.
If you have any comment or question on the working paper series, please contact each author.
When making a copy or reproduction of the content for commercial purposes, please contact the Public Relations Department (post.prd8@boj.or.jp) at the Bank in advance to request permission. When making a copy or reproduction, the source, Bank of Japan Working Paper Series, should explicitly be credited.