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Revisiting the behavior of small and large firms during the 2008 financial crisis

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  • Kudlyak, Marianna
  • Sánchez, Juan M.

Abstract

Gertler and Gilchrist (1994) provide seminal evidence for the prevailing view that adverse shocks are propagated via credit constraints: small firms are affected more during tight credit periods than large firms. Under this view, the deep recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis is often interpreted as the propagation of the initial “credit shock.” Following Gertler and Gilchrist (1994)’s methodology, we study the behavior of small and large firms during episodes of credit disruption and extend the analysis to the 2008 financial crisis and NBER-dated recessions. We find that large firms' short-term debt and sales contracted relatively more than those of small firms during the 2008 financial crisis and during most recessions since 1969. The results are robust to changes in the business cycle dating procedure. Using Compustat, we also find that during 2007–09 low financially-dependent firms suffered more than high financially-dependent firms. These results favor the view that a tightening of a financial or collateral constraint might not be a good representation of the 2007–09 crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • Kudlyak, Marianna & Sánchez, Juan M., 2017. "Revisiting the behavior of small and large firms during the 2008 financial crisis," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 48-69.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:dyncon:v:77:y:2017:i:c:p:48-69
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jedc.2017.01.017
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Small and large firms; Credit constraints; Propagation of shocks; Leverage;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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