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Small and Large Firms Over the Business Cycle

Author

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  • Nicolas Crouzet
  • Neil R. Mehrotra

Abstract

Drawing on a new, con dential Census Bureau dataset of financial statements of a representative sample of 80000 manufacturing firms from 1977 to 2014, we provide new evidence on the link between size, cyclicality, and financial frictions. First, we only find evidence of lower cyclicality among the very largest firms (the top 1% by size). Second, due to high and rising concentration of sales and investment, the lower sensitivity of the top 1% firms dominates the behavior of aggregate fluctuations. Third, we show that this differential sensitivity does not appear to be driven by financial frictions. The higher sensitivity of the bottom 99% does not disappear after controlling for measures of financial strength, is not statistically significant after identified monetary policy shocks, and does not appear in debt financing flows. Evidence from 3-digit industries suggests a non-financial explanation: the largest 1% of firms are less sensitive due to a more diversified customer base.

Suggested Citation

  • Nicolas Crouzet & Neil R. Mehrotra, 2018. "Small and Large Firms Over the Business Cycle," Working Papers 18-09, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:18-09
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2018/CES-WP-18-09.pdf
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    Cited by:

    1. Francisco Buera & Sudipto Karmakar, 2022. "Real Effects of Financial Distress: The Role of Heterogeneity," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(644), pages 1309-1348.
    2. Marios Karabarbounis & Patrick Macnamara, 2021. "Misallocation and Financial Frictions: the Role of Long-Term Financing," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 40, pages 44-63, April.
    3. Salem Abo‐Zaid & Anastasia Zervou, 2020. "Financing of Firms, Labor Reallocation, and the Distributional Role of Monetary Policy," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 122(2), pages 790-823, April.
    4. Krainer, Robert E., 2023. "Financial contracting as behavior towards risk: The corporate finance of business cycles 8/3/22," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    5. Gareth Anderson & Ambrogio Cesa-Bianchi, 2020. "Crossing the Credit Channel: Credit Spreads and Firm Heterogeneity," Discussion Papers 2005, Centre for Macroeconomics (CFM).
    6. Holm-Hadulla, Fédéric & Thürwächter, Claire, 2021. "Heterogeneity in corporate debt structures and the transmission of monetary policy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Firm size; business cycles; financial accelerator.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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