IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ecb/ecbwps/20263182.html

Money demand by non-financial corporations

Author

Listed:
  • Nocciola, Luca

Abstract

We document empirically the money demand by European non-financial corporations by exploiting a unique and brand-new survey on their cash usage in a stress period. We also assess: (i) the relation between cash held and firm size; and (ii) estimate point values of cash holdings and carry out statistical comparisons along the sectoral and country dimensions. First, we find that cash holdings are inversely related to firm size, providing additional evidence that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) tend to store more cash relative to their larger peers. Second, we find that cash-intensive sectors and” cash-friendly” countries display right-shifted distributions of cash holdings with statistically-significant larger average holdings. We argue that in a low interest rate and low inflation environment cash holdings serve as a store of value for European firms, in particular for SMEs which are more likely to be financially constrained, especially in crisis times. JEL Classification: D22, D25, E41, G01, G32

Suggested Citation

  • Nocciola, Luca, 2026. "Money demand by non-financial corporations," Working Paper Series 3182, European Central Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20263182
    Note: 2600378
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.ecb.europa.eu//pub/pdf/scpwps/ecb.wp3182~fe1c550bba.en.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Goodhart, Charles & Ashworth, Jonathan, 2020. "Coronavirus panic fuels a surge in cash demand," CEPR Discussion Papers 14910, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    2. Merton H. Miller & Daniel Orr, 1966. "A Model of the Demand for Money by Firms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 80(3), pages 413-435.
    3. Jonathan Ashworth & Charles A.E. Goodhart, 2020. "The Surprising Recovery of Currency Usage," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 16(3), pages 239-277, June.
    4. Tirupam Goel & José María Serena Garralda, 2020. "Bonds and syndicated loans during the Covid-19 crisis: decoupled again?," BIS Bulletins 29, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. Ashworth, J. & Goodhart, C. A. E., 2020. "The surprising recovery of currency usage," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 105303, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    6. Lalouette, Laure & Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro & Rusu, Codruta & Bartzsch, Nikolaus & Politronacci, Emmanuelle & Delmas, Martial & Rua, António & Brandi, Marco & Naksi, Martti, 2021. "Foreign demand for euro banknotes," Occasional Paper Series 253, European Central Bank.
    7. Marquis, Milton H. & Witte, Willard E., 1989. "Cash management and the demand for money by firms," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 11(3), pages 333-350.
    8. Katrin Assenmacher & Franz Seitz & Jörn Tenhofen, 2019. "The demand for Swiss banknotes: some new evidence," Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics, Springer;Swiss Society of Economics and Statistics, vol. 155(1), pages 1-22, December.
    9. António Rua, 2021. "Modelling currency demand: the case of the euro," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1865-1881, October.
    10. Nicoletti, Giulio & Setzer, Ralph & Tujula, Mika & Welz, Peter, 2022. "Assessing corporate vulnerabilities in the euro area," Economic Bulletin Articles, European Central Bank, vol. 2.
    11. Bańkowska, Katarzyna & Ferrando, Annalisa & García, Juan Angel, 2020. "Access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises after the financial crisis: evidence from survey data," Economic Bulletin Articles, European Central Bank, vol. 4.
    12. Tom Cusbert & Thomas Rohling, 2013. "Currency Demand during the Global Financial Crisis: Evidence from Australia," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2013-01, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    13. Katrin Assenmacher & Signe Krogstrup, 2021. "Monetary Policy with Negative Interest Rates: De-linking Cash from Digital Money," International Journal of Central Banking, International Journal of Central Banking, vol. 17(1), pages 67-106, March.
    14. Isaiah Hull & Or Sattath, 2021. "Revisiting the Properties of Money," Papers 2111.04483, arXiv.org, revised Nov 2021.
    15. Andreas Joseph & Christiane Kneer & Neeltje van Horen & Jumana Saleheen, 2019. "All you need is cash: corporate cash holdings and investment after the financial crisis," Bank of England working papers 843, Bank of England.
    16. Boeschoten, Willem C & Fase, Martin M G, 1992. "The Demand for Large Bank Notes," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 24(3), pages 319-337, August.
    17. Esselink, Henk & Gijsel, Lola Hernandez-van, 2017. "The use of cash by households in the euro area," Occasional Paper Series 201, European Central Bank.
    18. Ali Kakhbod & A Max Reppen & Tarik Umar & Hao Xing, 2025. "Does the level of cash always increase with firm size? Theory and evidence from small firms," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 29(3), pages 661-683.
    19. Osili, Una Okonkwo & Paulson, Anna, 2014. "Crises and confidence: Systemic banking crises and depositor behavior," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 111(3), pages 646-660.
    20. Raphael Auer & Rainer Boehme, 2021. "Central bank digital currency: the quest for minimally invasive technology," BIS Working Papers 948, Bank for International Settlements.
    21. Seitz, Franz & Rösl, Gerhard, 2022. "On the Stabilizing Role of Cash for Societies," MPRA Paper 113784, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    22. Ashworth, Jonathan & Goodhart, C. A. E., 2021. "The great Covid cash surge - digitalisation hasn't dented cash's safe haven role," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 112432, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    23. Edoardo Rainone, 2022. "Currency demand at negative policy rates," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1359, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    24. Chiara Coluzzi & Annalisa Ferrando & Carmen Martinez-Carrascal, 2015. "Financing obstacles and growth: an analysis for euro area non-financial firms," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(10-11), pages 773-790, August.
    25. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2021. "Cash and crises: No surprises by the virus," IMFS Working Paper Series 150, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    26. Faella, Francesca & Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro, 2025. "Keep calm and carry cash: lessons on the unique role of physical currency across four crises," Economic Bulletin Articles, European Central Bank, vol. 6.
    27. Ferrando, Annalisa & Ganoulis, Ioannis, 2020. "Firms’ expectations on access to finance at the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic," Working Paper Series 2446, European Central Bank.
    28. Opler, Tim & Pinkowitz, Lee & Stulz, Rene & Williamson, Rohan, 1999. "The determinants and implications of corporate cash holdings," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 3-46, April.
    29. Merton H. Miller & Daniel Orr, 1968. "The Demand For Money By Firms: Extensions Of Analytic Results," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(5), pages 735-759, December.
    30. Nocciola, Luca & Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro, 2024. "Transactional demand for central bank digital currency," Working Paper Series 2926, European Central Bank.
    31. Heitor Almeida & Murillo Campello & Michael S. Weisbach, 2002. "Corporate Demand for Liquidity," NBER Working Papers 9253, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    32. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:4:p:1777-1804 is not listed on IDEAS
    33. Jonker, Nicole & van der Cruijsen, Carin & Bijlsma, Michiel & Bolt, Wilko, 2022. "Pandemic payment patterns," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    34. Jeffrey M Wooldridge, 2010. "Econometric Analysis of Cross Section and Panel Data," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 2, volume 1, number 0262232588, December.
    35. Bover, Olympia & Watson, Nadine, 2005. "Are there economies of scale in the demand for money by firms? Some panel data estimates," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(8), pages 1569-1589, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Franz Seitz & Lucas Devigne & Raymond de Pastor, 2022. "Different Motives for Holding Cash in France: an Analysis of the Net Cash Issues of the Banque de France," Working papers 888, Banque de France.
    2. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2024. "Uncertainty, politics, and crises: The case for cash," Latin American Journal of Central Banking (previously Monetaria), Elsevier, vol. 5(3).
    3. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2024. "Resilience and the cash infrastructure: The role of access, acceptance, availability, and affordability," Weidener Diskussionspapiere 93, University of Applied Sciences Amberg-Weiden (OTH).
    4. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2021. "Cash and crises: No surprises by the virus," IMFS Working Paper Series 150, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    5. Muñoz, Manuel A. & Soons, Oscar, 2023. "Public money as a store of value, heterogeneous beliefs, and banks: implications of CBDC," Working Paper Series 2801, European Central Bank.
    6. Hans-Eggert Reimers & Friedrich Schneider & Franz Seitz, 2020. "Payment Innovations, the Shadow Economy and Cash Demand of Households in Euro Area Countries," CESifo Working Paper Series 8574, CESifo.
    7. Jacek Pietrucha, 2021. "Drivers of the Cash Paradox," Risks, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-17, December.
    8. Kotkowski, Radoslaw, 2023. "National culture and the demand for physical money during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    9. Edoardo Rainone, 2022. "Currency demand at negative policy rates," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 1359, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    10. Giorgio Calcagnini & Laura Gardini & Germana Giombini & Edgar S. Carrera, 2022. "Does too much liquidity generate instability?," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 17(1), pages 191-208, January.
    11. Nikolaus Bartzsch & Gerhard Rösl & Franz Seitz, 2025. "Cash demand in times of crises: a global perspective," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 56(1), pages 1-44.
    12. Jacek Pietrucha & Grzegorz Maciejewski, 2020. "Precautionary Demand for Cash and Perceived Risk of Electronic Payments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-25, September.
    13. Rösl, Gerhard & Seitz, Franz, 2022. "On the stabilizing role of cash for societies," IMFS Working Paper Series 167, Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute for Monetary and Financial Stability (IMFS).
    14. Luca Baldo & Elisa Bonifacio & Marco Brandi & Michelina Lo Russo & Gianluca Maddaloni & Andrea Nobili & Giorgia Rocco & Gabriele Sene & Massimo Valentini, 2021. "Inside the black box: tools for understanding cash circulation," Mercati, infrastrutture, sistemi di pagamento (Markets, Infrastructures, Payment Systems) 7, Bank of Italy, Directorate General for Markets and Payment System.
    15. Adão, Bernardino & Silva, André C., 2020. "The effect of firm cash holdings on monetary policy," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    16. Cuong Nguyen, 2019. "The asymmetry in firms’ mechanisms of cash holdings adjustments: evidence from the G-5 economies," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 429-463, August.
    17. Tamele, Barbora & Zamora-Pérez, Alejandro & Litardi, Chiara & Howes, John & Steinmann, Eike & Todt, Daniel, 2021. "Catch me (if you can): assessing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission via euro cash," Occasional Paper Series 259, European Central Bank.
    18. Halil Ibrahim Aydin & Cafer Kaplan & Mehtap Kesriyeli & Erdal Ozmen & Cihan Yalcin & Serkan Yigit, 2006. "Corporate Sector Financial Structure in Turkey : A Descriptive Analysis," Working Papers 0607, Research and Monetary Policy Department, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey.
    19. Cuong, Ly Kim & Shimizu, Katsutoshi & Cui, Weihan, 2021. "The determinants of negative net leverage policy: New evidence from Japan," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 449-460.
    20. Huang, Jialin & Luo, Yu & Peng, Yuchao, 2021. "Corporate financial asset holdings under economic policy uncertainty: Precautionary saving or speculating?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1359-1378.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D25 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Intertemporal Firm Choice: Investment, Capacity, and Financing
    • E41 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Demand for Money
    • G01 - Financial Economics - - General - - - Financial Crises
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbwps:20263182. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Official Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/emieude.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.