Liquidity regulation and the implementation of monetary policy

We study the impact of the Basel III liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) on interbank interest rates in an otherwise-standard model of monetary policy implementation. When banks face the possibility of an LCR shortfall, the overnight interest rate tends to decrease, while a regulatory premium arises in longer-term rates. In addition, the LCR requirement can substantially alter the effect of a central banks' open market operations on equilibrium interest rates.