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The number of bank relationships and borrowing costs: The role of information asymmetries

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  • Bonfim, Diana
  • Dai, Qinglei
  • Franco, Francesco

Abstract

In a unique dataset that covers virtually all bank loans granted in Portugal, we find that when a firm borrows from one additional bank, the interest rate on bank loans for this firm decreases on average by 14 to 28 basis points. The result holds for small firms but not for larger firms. We test three theories that are consistent with this finding. More banks relationships may: (1) increase firms’ bargaining power, (2) decrease banks’ monitoring costs, (3) reduce asymmetric information between borrowers and lenders. We show that our empirical findings are neither consistent with the increase in firm bargaining power nor supportive of the decrease in banks’ monitoring costs. Our results are consistent with an important economic role of asymmetric information in the funding of small firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Bonfim, Diana & Dai, Qinglei & Franco, Francesco, 2018. "The number of bank relationships and borrowing costs: The role of information asymmetries," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 191-209.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:empfin:v:46:y:2018:i:c:p:191-209
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jempfin.2017.12.005
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    3. Anastasiya Shamshur & Laurent Weill, 2023. "Bank Risk and Firm Investment: Evidence from Firm-Level Data," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 63(1), pages 1-34, February.
    4. Patrick Behr & Lars Norden & Raquel Oliveira, 2020. "Labor and Finance: the effect of bank relationships," Working Papers Series 534, Central Bank of Brazil, Research Department.
    5. Lucie Rudolfová, 2019. "Factor affecting the cost of borrowed capital from the perspective of the appraiser [Faktory ovlivňující výši nákladů cizího kapitálu z pohledu odhadce]," Český finanční a účetní časopis, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2019(4), pages 15-30.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Banks; Relationship banking; Borrowing costs;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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