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Does bank competition inhibit the formation of zombie firms?

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  • Zhang, Xiaoqian
  • Huang, Bin

Abstract

The intensified competition in China's banking industry is an important embodiment of gradual financial reform. Based on the Annual Survey of Industrial Enterprise Database, we find that the probability of forming zombie firms decreases by 0.48% with 1% increase of city-level bank competition. The result still holds when we introduce an IV based on the number the bank branches in 1937 when China's bank industry was at the boom before the World War II. The underlying mechanism is that the financial expense ratio of zombie firms increases by 0.17% with 1% increase of bank competition, which supports the “competition-stability” view. We also introduce the exogenous shock event of China's WTO accession and proxy variable from the survey on foreign banks in 1935 when China's bank industry was at the boom before the war, and the results are still robust.

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  • Zhang, Xiaoqian & Huang, Bin, 2022. "Does bank competition inhibit the formation of zombie firms?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1045-1060.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:80:y:2022:i:c:p:1045-1060
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2022.03.011
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    Cited by:

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    2. Shangming Yang & Yanjiang Zhang & Jinyuan Zhang & Bochao Zhang, 2024. "Technology accessibility and the local government's incentive to aid zombie firms in China," Economics of Transition and Institutional Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(2), pages 501-523, April.
    3. Hao Ding, 2024. "Can common institutional ownership inhibit the formation of zombie firms? Evidence from China," Asian-Pacific Economic Literature, The Crawford School, The Australian National University, vol. 38(1), pages 34-56, May.
    4. Tan, Ruipeng & Zhu, Wenjun & Pan, Lulu & Wu, Huaqing, 2024. "Short selling and de-zombification: Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PB), pages 86-102.
    5. Teng, Mingming & Tan, Weijie, 2023. "Bank branch agglomeration and corporate green transformation: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PB).
    6. Shen, Yu & Ren, Meixu & Zhao, Jingmei, 2023. "Bank competition and zombie company: Empirical evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 297-318.
    7. van Leuvensteijn, Michiel & Huljak, Ivan & de Bondt, Gabe, 2024. "A new measure of firm-level competition: an application to euro area banks," Working Paper Series 2925, European Central Bank.
    8. Wei, Qi & Zeng, Sheng & Tao, Qingmei, 2024. "Does bank competition improve borrower welfare? Evidence from China," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 1353-1368.
    9. Xing, Tiancai & Li, Xue & Feng, Nianqiao, 2024. "Is bank competition conducive to corporate ESG performance?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    10. Tian, Zongtao & Shen, Yongchang & Chen, Zhibin, 2024. "How does bank branch expansion affect ESG: Evidence from Chinese commercial banks," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 502-514.
    11. Sun, Yabin, 2024. "Bank competition and firm greenwashing: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    12. Zhu, Ruoyu & Tan, Kehu & Xin, Xiaohui, 2024. "Does the opening of high-speed rail inhibit corporate zombification?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 93(PA), pages 372-389.
    13. Wang, Rui & Mao, Keqi, 2024. "How does bank competition affect trade-mode transformation? Evidence from Chinese export enterprises," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    14. Qiao, Junfeng & Lyu, Jinbo & Yin, Xingyi, 2024. "Do intergovernmental transfers accelerate the formation of zombie firms? A study based on fuzzy regression discontinuity analysis," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 1241-1256.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bank competition; Zombie firms; China's WTO accession;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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