European credit model outputs vary wildly

The ratio of risk-weighted assets to corporate credit exposures, as calculated by banks’ internal models, differs enormously from firm to firm, Risk Quantum analysis shows. 

A survey of 16 European banks reveals that the risk density of corporate loan books – calculated as RWAs divided by exposures-at-default (EAD) – as determined by each firm’s advanced internal ratings-based approach (A-IRB) models, ranged from 33% to 55% at end-2017.

Risk-weighted assets are used to set banks’ minimum