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Financial Distress, Bankruptcy Law and the Business Cycle

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  • Oren Sussman
  • Javier Suarez

Abstract

This paper explores the business cycle implications of financial distress and bankruptcy law. We find that due to the presence of financial imperfections the effect of liquidations on the price of capital goods can generate endogenous fluctuations. We show that a law reform that ‘softens’ bankruptcy law may increase the amplitude of the cycle in the long run. In contrast, a policy of bailing out businesses during the bust, or actively managing the interest rate across the cycle, could stabilize the economy in the long run. A comprehensive welfare analysis of the policy is provided as well.

Suggested Citation

  • Oren Sussman & Javier Suarez, 2004. "Financial Distress, Bankruptcy Law and the Business Cycle," Economics Series Working Papers 2004-FE-07, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:oxf:wpaper:2004-fe-07
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shleifer, Andrei & Vishny, Robert W, 1992. "Liquidation Values and Debt Capacity: A Market Equilibrium Approach," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(4), pages 1343-1366, September.
    2. Oliver Hart & John Moore, 1998. "Default and Renegotiation: A Dynamic Model of Debt," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 113(1), pages 1-41.
    3. Suarez, Javier & Sussman, Oren, 1997. "Endogenous Cycles in a Stiglitz-Weiss Economy," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 47-71, September.
    4. Hart, Oliver, 1995. "Firms, Contracts, and Financial Structure," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198288817.
    5. Bernanke, Ben & Gertler, Mark, 1989. "Agency Costs, Net Worth, and Business Fluctuations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(1), pages 14-31, March.
    6. Julian R. Franks & Kjell G. Nyborg & Walter N. Torous, 1996. "A Comparison of UK, US and German Insolvency Codes," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 25(3), Fall.
    7. Bolton, Patrick & Scharfstein, David S, 1996. "Optimal Debt Structure and the Number of Creditors," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(1), pages 1-25, February.
    8. repec:bla:jfinan:v:53:y:1998:i:3:p:939-978 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Berkovitch, Elazar & Israel, Ronen & Zender, Jaime F., 1997. "Optimal bankruptcy law and firm-specific investments," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(3-5), pages 487-497, April.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Ilhyock Shim & Goetz Von Peter, 2007. "Distress Selling and Asset Market Feedback," Financial Markets, Institutions & Instruments, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(5), pages 243-291, December.
    2. Korkeamaki, Timo & Koskinen, Yrjo & Takalo, Tuomas, 2007. "Phoenix rising: Legal reforms and changes in valuations in Finland during the economic crisis," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 33-58, April.
    3. Wai-Hong Ho, 2017. "Financial market globalization, nonconvergence and credit cycles," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 153-180, May.
    4. Chiarella, Carl & Di Guilmi, Corrado, 2011. "The financial instability hypothesis: A stochastic microfoundation framework," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1151-1171, August.
    5. Yunan Li & Cheng Wang, 2022. "Endogenous Labor Market Cycles," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 63(2), pages 849-881, May.
    6. Ritzberger, Klaus & Tsomocos, Dimitrios P., 2024. "On bankruptcy in general equilibrium with uncertainty," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    7. Chiarella Carl & Di Guilmi Corrado, 2012. "The Fiscal Cost of Financial Instability," Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, De Gruyter, vol. 16(4), pages 1-29, October.
    8. Charles Goodhart & Dimitrios Tsomocos, 2007. "Financial stability: theory and applications," Annals of Finance, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-4, January.
    9. ben Jabeur, Sami & Mefteh-Wali, Salma & Carmona, Pedro, 2021. "The impact of institutional and macroeconomic conditions on aggregate business bankruptcy," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 108-119.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bankruptcy law; business cycles; financial distress;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation

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