THE PRIVATE PLACEMENT OF BANK EQUITY

This paper investigates the role of private placements of common stock as a source of bank capital. Our results show that information asymmetry problems that typically attend new offers of bank equity are mitigated in the private placement process. Moreover buyers of privately placed common stock seem to provide a quality certification of capital deficient bank holding companies. Our evidence is also consistent with the notion that buyers of privately placed common stock provide a monitoring service that aligns the interest of the bank's managers and shareholders. Finally, we find no evidence that private placements are predominately motivated by incumbent management's attempts to sell equity to a friendly buyer at the expense of the bank's current shareholders.