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Activity Shocks and Corporate Liquidity: the Role of Trade Credit

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Bureau
  • Anne Duquerroy
  • Frédéric Vinas
  • Andrew EllulEditor

Abstract

We show both theoretically and empirically how trade credit financing may magnify the impact of activity shocks on corporate liquidity. Using unique daily data on payment defaults on suppliers in France, we quantify the magnitude of the short-term cyclical liquidity stress induced by trade payment obligations, exploiting the COVID-19 crisis as an exogenous shock. A one-standard-deviation rise in net trade credit position increases firms’ default probability by 10% during the lockdown. We find higher impacts for downstream sectors – up to 30% increase in the retail trade – for financially constrained firms, and a contraction in investment. (JEL E32, G32, G33, H12, H32)

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Bureau & Anne Duquerroy & Frédéric Vinas & Andrew EllulEditor, 2024. "Activity Shocks and Corporate Liquidity: the Role of Trade Credit," The Review of Corporate Finance Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 13(3), pages 668-711.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:rcorpf:v:13:y:2024:i:3:p:668-711.
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    Cited by:

    1. Srivastava, Jagriti & Gopalakrishnan, Balagopal, 2021. "In-kind financing during a pandemic: Trade credit and COVID-19," MPRA Paper 111433, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Dec 2021.
    2. Zhang, Cheng & Lee, Yun-Chi & Ho, Kung-Cheng & Shen, Xixi, 2023. "Influence of institutional differences on trade credit use during pandemics," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    3. Srivastava, Jagriti & Gopalakrishnan, Balagopal, 2021. "In-kind financing during a pandemic: Trade credit and COVID-19," MPRA Paper 108951, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Wang, Xun & Yu, Jingwen, 2023. "COVID-19 pandemic and corporate liquidity: The role of SOEs’ trade credit response," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • H12 - Public Economics - - Structure and Scope of Government - - - Crisis Management
    • H32 - Public Economics - - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents - - - Firm

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