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The impact of SOE defaults on municipal corporate bond spreads in China

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  • Zhang, Zhilin

Abstract

The rising defaults of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) and other SOEs, challenge the long-held belief in government bailouts and cause risk contagion in China's bond market. This study investigates the impact of SOE defaults on the spread of newly issued municipal corporate bonds, which were been widely perceived as quasi-municipal bonds. Using a sample of 5,812 municipal corporate bonds matched to local default shocks from 2016 to 2019, our difference-in-differences (DID) analysis shows that LGFV defaults significantly widen municipal bond spreads, while defaults of other SOEs narrow them. Mechanism analyses suggest that these contrasting effects are driven by investors' updated beliefs in bailouts and the local bias of institutional investors.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Zhilin, 2025. "The impact of SOE defaults on municipal corporate bond spreads in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:75:y:2025:i:c:s1544612325000844
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2025.106819
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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