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The bank as Grim Reaper: Debt composition and bankruptcy thresholds

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  • Carey, Mark
  • Gordy, Michael B.

Abstract

We offer a model and evidence showing that private debtholders play a key role in setting the endogenous asset value threshold below which corporations declare bankruptcy. As predicted by the model, we find that the recovery rate at emergence from bankruptcy on all of the firm’s debt taken together is increasing in the pre-bankruptcy share of private debt in all debt. We further find evidence consistent with a two-threshold model in which private debtholders force default in some cases and shareholders default strategically in others.

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  • Carey, Mark & Gordy, Michael B., 2021. "The bank as Grim Reaper: Debt composition and bankruptcy thresholds," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 142(3), pages 1092-1108.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:142:y:2021:i:3:p:1092-1108
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.05.048
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    Cited by:

    1. Demirgüç-Kunt, Asli & Horváth, Bálint & Huizinga, Harry, 2023. "Loan recoveries and the financing of zombie firms over the business cycle," CEPR Discussion Papers 18351, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Sharjil M. Haque & Anya V. Kleymenova, 2023. "Private Equity and Debt Contract Enforcement: Evidence from Covenant Violations," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-018, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    3. Frame, W. Scott & Lazaryan, Nika & McLemore, Ping & Mihov, Atanas, 2024. "Operational loss recoveries and the macroeconomic environment: Evidence from the U.S. banking sector," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    4. Michael Schwert, 2020. "Does Borrowing from Banks Cost More than Borrowing from the Market?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 75(2), pages 905-947, April.
    5. Song Ma & Joy Tianjiao Tong & Wei Wang, 2022. "Bankrupt Innovative Firms," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(9), pages 6971-6992, September.
    6. Berlin, Mitchell & Nini, Greg & Yu, Edison G., 2020. "Concentration of control rights in leveraged loan syndicates," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(1), pages 249-271.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Credit risk; Recovery rates; Bankruptcy; Debt default;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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