Balance Sheet Adjustments during the 2008 Crisis

Abstract

This paper measures how securitized assets, including mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities, have shifted across financial institutions during this crisis and how the availability of financing has accommodated such shifts. Sectors dependent on repo financing—in particular, the hedge fund sector—have reduced asset holdings, while the commercial banking sector, which has had access to more stable funding sources, has increased asset holdings. The banking sector also increased its leverage dramatically during this crisis. These findings are important to understand the role played by the government as well as the factors determining asset prices and liquidity during the crisis.