IFRS 7 adoption and bank risk taking

We examine whether and how banks’ risk disclosure relates to their risk taking behavior. Effective from 2007, International Financial Reporting Standards No. 7 (IFRS 7) requires the disclosure of risk arising from financial instruments, which enhances bank risk disclosure. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we document a significant decrease in bank risk taking following IFRS 7 adoption. This effect is more prominent when accounting rules are more strictly enforced and alternative bank risk constraining means are weak. We also find that after IFRS 7 adoption, banks are more prudent in loan offering that helps reduce risk. Overall, our results are consistent with the market discipline view of bank risk disclosure and underscore IFRS 7′s role in improving financial stability.