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SME Financing Conditions in Europe: Credit Crunch or Fundamentals?

Author

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  • Holton, Sarah
  • Lawless, Martina
  • McCann, Fergal

Abstract

Cross-country divergence in credit availability to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) has been a salient feature of the recent Euro Area economic crisis. This paper uses firm level and macroeconomic data to identify heterogeneity in SME credit conditions within the Euro Area since 2009. By taking account of differences in firm quality and in the risk-free interest rate, we use remaining residual differences in credit supply conditions to identify a ‘credit crunch’. We investigate whether macroeconomic conditions such as real economy growth and private sector leverage can explain these residual credit crunches, finding that banks respond to these factors when allocating credit to SMEs. The analysis allows identification of economies where credit conditions appear both unexpectedly restrictive and accommodative.

Suggested Citation

  • Holton, Sarah & Lawless, Martina & McCann, Fergal, 2013. "SME Financing Conditions in Europe: Credit Crunch or Fundamentals?," National Institute Economic Review, National Institute of Economic and Social Research, vol. 225, pages 52-67, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:nierev:v:225:y:2013:i::p:r52-r67_14
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Xavier Timbeau & Ofce Observatoire Français Des Conjonctures Économiques, 2014. "From austerity to stagnation how to avoid the deflation trap," Post-Print hal-03603164, HAL.
    2. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/6ggbvnr6munghes9oaoq8f41m is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Céline Antonin & Christophe Blot & Sabine Le Bayon & Danielle Schweisguth, 2013. "La zone euro écartelée. Perspectives 2013-2014 pour l'économie européenne," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 0(4), pages 53-95.
    4. Franziska M. Bremus, 2015. "The Debate about Financing Constraints of SMEs in Europe," DIW Roundup: Politik im Fokus 66, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    5. Martinez Cillero, Maria & Lawless, Martina & O'Toole, Conor, 2019. "The determinants of SME capital structure across the lifecycle," Papers WP614, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    6. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/6ggbvnr6munghes9oaoq8f41m is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Anne Kathrin Funk, 2019. "Quantitative easing in the euro area and SMEs' access to finance: Who benefits the most?," IHEID Working Papers 02-2019, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    8. Marie Finnegan & Supriya Kapoor, 2023. "ECB unconventional monetary policy and SME access to finance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(3), pages 1253-1288, October.
    9. Gvetadze, Salome & Kraemer-Eis, Helmut & Lang, Frank & Prencipe, Dario & Signore, Simone & Torfs, Wouter, 2018. "EIF SME Access to Finance Index," EIF Working Paper Series 2018/47, European Investment Fund (EIF).
    10. Lawless, Martina & O'Toole, Conor & Lambert, Derek, 2014. "Financing SMEs in Recovery: Evidence for Irish Policy Options," Research Series, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number BKMNEXT276, June.
    11. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/c5gs2rgi93abt1s4jkeabou1 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Carroll, James & McCann, Fergal, 2017. "Observables and residuals: exploring cross-border differences in Small and Medium Enterprise borrowing costs," Research Technical Papers 02/RT/17, Central Bank of Ireland.
    13. Fergal McCann & James Carroll, 2019. "Observables and Residuals: Exploring Cross-Border Differences in SME Borrowing Costs," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 56(2), pages 167-184, October.
    14. Wojciech Lewicki & Tomasz Wierzejski, 2020. "Sources of Financing Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Case Studies in Poland," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 2), pages 700-712.
    15. Alexandra Moritz & Joern H. Block & Andreas Heinz, 2016. "Financing patterns of European SMEs -- an empirical taxonomy," Venture Capital, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 18(2), pages 115-148, April.
    16. Cuerpo, Carlos & Drumond, Inês & Lendvai, Julia & Pontuch, Peter & Raciborski, Rafal, 2015. "Private sector deleveraging in Europe," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 372-383.
    17. Xavier Timbeau & OFCE Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques, 2014. "From austerity to stagnation how to avoid the deflation trap: The independant annual growth survey 2014," Sciences Po publications info:hdl:2441/c5gs2rgi93a, Sciences Po.
    18. Lawless, Martina & McCann, Fergal & O'Toole, Conor, 2013. "The importance of banks in SME financing: Ireland in a European context," Economic Letters 05/EL/13, Central Bank of Ireland.
    19. McQuinn, John, 2019. "SME access to finance in Europe: structural change and the legacy of the crisis," Research Technical Papers 10/RT/19, Central Bank of Ireland.
    20. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/6ggbvnr6munghes9oaoq8f41m is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Brancati, Emanuele & Minetti , Raoul & Zhu, Susan Chun, 2020. "Finance and Innovation in the Production Network," Working Papers 2020-13, Michigan State University, Department of Economics.
    22. Bahar Öztürk & Mr. Mico Mrkaic, 2014. "SMEs’ Access to Finance in the Euro Area: What Helps or Hampers?," IMF Working Papers 2014/078, International Monetary Fund.
    23. Harrison, Richard & Li, Youwei & Vigne, Samuel A. & Wu, Yuliang, 2022. "Why do small businesses have difficulty in accessing bank financing?," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    24. Anne Kathrin Funk, 2018. "Quantitative easing in the euro area and SMEs’ access to finance: Who benefits the most?," KOF Working papers 18-447, KOF Swiss Economic Institute, ETH Zurich.
    25. Lawless, Martina & O’Toole, Conor & Slaymaker, Rachel, 2018. "Estimating an SME investment gap and the contribution of financing frictions," Papers WP589, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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