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Female firms and banks� lending behaviour: what happened during the great recession?

Author

Listed:
  • Francesca Maria Cesaroni

    (University of Urbino �Carlo Bo�)

  • Francesca Lotti

    (Bank of Italy)

  • Paolo Emilio Mistrulli

    (Bank of Italy)

Abstract

During the financial crisis banks faced liquidity shocks, and lending slowed down. The reduction in credit availability was due to demand- and supply-side factors. The decrease in turnover and investment led to a contraction of financial needs; on the other hand, the tightening of credit supply was the result of banks� greater risk-aversion, difficulties in raising funds, and a worsening in the creditworthiness of borrowers. However, banks do not pass on liquidity shocks to borrowers according to a homogenous pattern: by following a pecking order, they first reduce lending to the marginal segment of borrowers to protect their core customers. Previous studies have shown that banks are less prone to lend to female firms than to others: lending to female firms may have suffered more during the crisis than other segments of the credit market. By using data from the Credit Register at the Bank of Italy for the period 2007-2009, we find that women-owned firms faced a more pronounced credit contraction with respect to other firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Maria Cesaroni & Francesca Lotti & Paolo Emilio Mistrulli, 2013. "Female firms and banks� lending behaviour: what happened during the great recession?," Questioni di Economia e Finanza (Occasional Papers) 177, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    • Handle: RePEc:bdi:opques:qef_177_13
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    File URL: https://www.bancaditalia.it/pubblicazioni/qef/2013-0177/QEF_177.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Stefania Basiglio & Eleonora Isaia & Mariacristina Rossi & Paola De Vincentiis, 2019. "“Credit Access and Approval”," CeRP Working Papers 189, Center for Research on Pensions and Welfare Policies, Turin (Italy).
      • Stefania Basiglio & Paola De Vincentiis & Eleonora Isaia & Mariacristina Rossi, 2019. "Credit Access and Approval," Working papers 061, Department of Economics and Statistics (Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Sociali e Matematico-Statistiche), University of Torino.
    2. Mustapha Douch & Huw Edwards & Sushanta Mallick, 2022. "The UK Productivity Puzzle: Does Firm Cohort matter for their Performance following the Financial Crisis?," Bank of Lithuania Working Paper Series 101, Bank of Lithuania.
    3. Claudia Piras & Andrea Filippo Presbitero & Roberta Rabellotti, 2013. "Definitions Matter: Measuring Gender Gaps in Firms' Access to Credit," Mo.Fi.R. Working Papers 90, Money and Finance Research group (Mo.Fi.R.) - Univ. Politecnica Marche - Dept. Economic and Social Sciences.
    4. Basiglio, Stefania, 2018. "Essays on financial behaviour of households and firms," Other publications TiSEM c13423c5-8bf2-44a7-baa7-3, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    5. Stefania Basiglio & Paola Vincentiis & Eleonora Isaia & Mariacristina Rossi, 2023. "Women-led Firms and Credit Access. A Gendered Story?," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 9(1), pages 199-233, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    financial crisis; banks; loans; women-owned firms.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages

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