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Journal of Financial Intermediation Vol. 59 2024

Access to credit and firm survival during a crisis: The case of zero-bank-debt firms

Roberto Blanco1; Miguel García-Posada1; Sergio Mayordomo1; María Rodríguez-Moreno

1 Bank of Spain

Abstract

Before the Covid-19 crisis, zero-bank-debt firms, especially risky ones, faced, due to their lack of credit history, more difficult access to bank loans than firms which previously had bank debt. These credit constraints were tightened by the Covid shock, irrespective of firms’ risk, arguably because of increased information asymmetries during a period of high macroeconomic uncertainty. Zero-bank-debt firms, even those which were safe and profitable, were also far more likely to leave the market during the pandemic than firms which previously had bank debt. However, those zero-bank-debt firms that did obtain new credit reduced their probability of exit.

DOI
10.1016/j.jfi.2024.101102
Volume
59
Pages
101102
Language
en
Sources
bibtex:phds-export.bib openalex crossref

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