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Lending to unhealthy firms in Japan during the lost decade: distinguishing between technical and financial health

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  • Suparna Chakraborty
  • Joe Peek

Abstract

We investigate the misallocation of credit in Japan associated with banks? evergreening loans, distinguishing between two types of firm distress: (perhaps temporary) financial distress and technical distress, which reflects weak operational capabilities, as indicated by low total factor productivity. We show that previous evidence related to firms? financial health is problematic due to the mixing of loan-demand and loan-supply effects. Using a direct measure of operational health, we provide unambiguous, direct evidence of evergreening behavior, as well as confirming evidence based on the relative impacts on subsequent firm viability of loans by bank types with different incentives to evergreen loans.

Suggested Citation

  • Suparna Chakraborty & Joe Peek, 2016. "Lending to unhealthy firms in Japan during the lost decade: distinguishing between technical and financial health," Working Papers 16-22, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedbwp:16-22
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    total factor productivity; bank lending; Japan; zombie firms; financial crisis;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • E51 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Money Supply; Credit; Money Multipliers
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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