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Bio graphi cal NotesDimit rios Tsou ka las and Shomir Sil are both in the School of Man age ment, Pur due Uni ver sity Calu met, Ham mond, IN 42323, USA.

Purpose -This study aims to evaluate the market risk exposure of three international equity portfolios using value-at-risk (VaR). This risk metric calculates the worst case loss for a business in the course of its daily transactions. To ensure that the calculated VaR reflects emerging risk characteristics, this paper introduces an approach that incorporates time-varying volatility. Design/methodology/approach -This study uses the GARCH technique to calculate the volatility metric with which VaR estimates are obtained. The out-of-sample performance of the VaRs is then assessed by comparing them to the actual market risk losses in that period. Findings -Empirical results show that regardless of market conditions, the VaR calculated with this (GARCH) approach is more robust and more reliable than the traditional methods. Pursuant to the banking regulation on market risk capital stipulated by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the out-of-sample VaRs are at least equal to actual daily market risk losses at the 99 percent confidence level. Practical implications -The key goal of banking regulation is to ensure that financial firms have sufficient capital for the types of risks they take. Determining the right amount of capital requires these firms to first estimate their worst case loss, which is the value-at-risk. The approach to the calculation of VaR introduced in this paper enhances the accuracy in the measurement of market risk capital for financial institutions. Originality/value -This paper recognizes that for VaR to fully account for market risk losses, the risk metric must be correctly measured. The unparalleled approach in this paper of incorporating time-varying volatility in VaR calculations offers banking institutions a more reliable means of determining their capital adequacy.

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This study presents a conceptual framework that highlights the overreaching impact of Basel 2.5 on market risk capital. The Basel accords provide the basis for the calculation of the minimum capital that banks should maintain to fully absorb their credit, market, and operational risks. In Basel 2.5, the calculation of market risk capital is enhanced by the inclusion of stressed value-at-risk, a new metric designed to account for future periods of extreme market volatility.As this study demonstrates, however, the use of this additional risk estimator often leads to the unintended consequence of excessive and costly capital charge, especially when the stressed period is overshadowed by more recent but less turbulent market events.