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Firms’ Financing Constraints: Do Perceptions Match the Actual Situation?

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Listed:
  • Annalisa Ferrando

    (European Central Bank)

  • Klaas Mulier

    (Ghent University)

Abstract

This paper draws on the SAFE survey on access to finance for a sample of 11,886 firms in the Euro Area which are matched with their nearest neighbour in a balance sheet dataset with 2.3 million firms. We investigate the role of firm characteristics with respect to firms’ perceived financing constraints and actual financing constraints in the period 2009-2011. Low-profit firms are more likely to face actual financing constraints. Low working capital and high leverage ratios explain actual financing constraints to a lesser extent. Further, firms are more likely to perceive access to finance problematic when they have more debt with short-term maturity. Finally, firm age, but not size, is important in explaining both the perceived and the actual financial constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Annalisa Ferrando & Klaas Mulier, 2015. "Firms’ Financing Constraints: Do Perceptions Match the Actual Situation?," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 46(1), pages 87-117.
  • Handle: RePEc:eso:journl:v:46:y:2015:i:1:p:87-117
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    finance; firms; Europe;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G10 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - General (includes Measurement and Data)
    • O16 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Financial Markets; Saving and Capital Investment; Corporate Finance and Governance
    • K40 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - General

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