An estimation of the default probabilities of Spanish non-financial corporations and their application to evaluate public policies

We model the one-year ahead probability for default of Spanish non-financial corporations using data for the period 1996-2019. While most previous literature considers that a firm is in default if it files for bankruptcy, we define default as having non-performing loans during at least three months of a given year. This broader definition allows us to predict firms’ financial distress at an earlier stage that cannot generally be observed by researchers, before their financial conditions become too severe and they have to file for bankruptcy or engage in private workouts with their creditors. We estimate, by means of logistic regressions, both a general model that uses all the firms in the sample and six models for different size-sector combinations. The selected explanatory variables are five accounting ratios, which summarise firms’ creditworthiness, and the growth rate of aggregate credit to non-financial corporations, to take into account the role of credit availability in mitigating the risk of default. Finally, we carry out two applications of our prediction models: we construct credit rating transition matrices and evaluate a programme implemented by the Spanish government to provide direct aid to firms severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis.