Liquidity risk and bank portfolio allocation

The joint existence of a lender of last resort and of a stock market is usually considered the sign of a developed financial infrastructure. This paper analyzes whether a securities market may play a role similar to that of a lender of last resort by being of assistance to a bank, which faces possible liquidity shortages. We examine which of these two institutions best prevents a bank's liquidity shortages while allowing the optimal allocation of the bank's resources. Our results suggest that securities markets matter more for the liquidity of banks than a lender of last resort.