The First Basel Capital Accord, implemented in 1988, was aimed at ensuring the soundness and stability of the international banking system. The new accord, Basel II, which is planned for implementation in December 2006, is intended to strengthen the framework for dealing with credit risk. This book provides an informative analysis of what Basel II means for the small and medium-sized enterprize (SME) sector in Europe and its impact on its credit financing conditions. It also presents a detailed analysis of how banks formulate an internal rating system and illustrates how this system works in practice. Finally, it concludes with the key measures that should be taken by banks, SMEs, and public policymakers to improve financing in the new rating culture.

The First Basel Capital Accord, implemented in 1988, was aimed at ensuring the soundness and stability of the international banking system. The new accord, Basel II, which is planned for implementation in December 2006, is intended to strengthen the framework for dealing with credit risk. This book provides an informative analysis of what Basel II means for the small and medium-sized enterprize (SME) sector in Europe and its impact on its credit financing conditions. It also presents a detailed analysis of how banks formulate an internal rating system and illustrates how this system works in practice. Finally, it concludes with the key measures that should be taken by banks, SMEs, and public policymakers to improve financing in the new rating culture.

The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed, up-to-date and critical analysis of the New Basel Capital Accord framework. It focuses on the limitations and pitfalls that may deserve further investigation, particularly at the European level. Moreover, it provides a provisional assessment of its effects on small- and medium-sized European banks, as well as small- and medium-sized European enterprises. It examines the procyclicality of the new Accord and offers mechanisms to counter it. Finally, it addresses the challenges of implementing the new rules at the EU level.

Jonathan Edwards was a preacher, pastor, revivalist, and theologian. This volume unpacks his magnificent theological vision, which starts with God’s glory and ends with all creation returning to that glory. Sean Michael Lucas has converted his years of teaching on Edwards into this valuable work, which places Edwards’s vision in an accessible, two-part framework. Part one focuses on Edwards’s understanding of redemption history-God’s cosmic, grand work from eternity past to eternity future, where all things are united in Christ. Part two examines Edwards’s perspective on “redemption applied”-how that gracious, divine work unfolds in space and time to personally transform individuals, stirring their affections, illuminating their minds, and moving their wills to form new habits and practices. This overview of Edwards’s theology will prove to be a thought-provoking, encouraging guide to contemporary believers at every stage of their spiritual journey.

New developments in measuring, evaluating and managing credit risk are discussed in this volume. Addressing both practitioners in the banking sector and resesarch institutions, the book provides a manifold view on one of the most-discussed topics in finance. Among the subjects treated are important issues, such as: the consequences of the new Basel Capital Accord (Basel II), different applications of credit risk models, and new methodologies in rating and measuring credit portfolio risk. The volume provides an overview of recent developments as well as future trends: a state-of-the-art compendium in the area of credit risk.

Ch. 1. An evolutionary perspective on the concept of risk, uncertainty and risk management / Oliviero Roggi and Omar Ottonelli -- ch. 2. Toward a bottom-up approach to assessing sovereign default risk: an update / Edward I. Altman and Herbert Rijken -- ch. 3. Measuring systemic risk / Viral V. Acharya ... [et al.] -- ch. 4. Taxing systemic risk / Viral V. Acharya ... [et al.] -- ch. 5. Liquidity and efficiency in three related foreign exchange options markets / Menachem Brenner and Ben Z. Schreiber -- ch. 6. Illiquidity or credit deterioration: a study of liquidity in the US corporate bond market during financial crises / Nils Friewald, Rainer Jankowitsch and Marti G. Subrahmanyam -- ch. 7. Integrated wealth and risk management: first principles / Zvi Bodie -- ch. 8. Analyzing the impact of effective risk management: innovation and capital structure effects / Torben Juul Andersen -- ch. 9. Modeling credit risk for SMEs: evidence from the US market / Edward I. Altman and Gabriele Sabato -- ch. 10. SME rating: risk globally, measure locally / Oliviero Roggi and Alessandro Giannozzi -- ch. 11. Credit loss and systematic LGD / Jon Frye and Michael Jacobs Jr. -- ch. 12. Equity risk premiums (ERP): determinants, estimation and implications - the 2012 edition / Aswath Damodaran -- ch. 13. Stock market crashes in 2007-2009: were we able to predict them? / Sébastien Lleo and William T. Ziemba