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Credit and Liquidity Policies during Large Crises

Author

Listed:
  • Mahdi Ebsim
  • Miguel Faria-e-Castro
  • Julian Kozlowski

Abstract

We compare firms’ financials during the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) and COVID-19. While the two crises featured similar increases in credit spreads, debt and liquid assets decreased during the GFC but increased during COVID-19. In the cross-section, leverage was the primary determinant of credit spreads and investment during the GFC, but liquidity was more important during COVID-19. We augment a quantitative model of firm capital structure with a motive to hold liquid assets. The GFC resembled a combination of real and financial shocks, while COVID-19 also featured liquidity shocks. We study the state-dependent effects of credit and liquidity policies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mahdi Ebsim & Miguel Faria-e-Castro & Julian Kozlowski, 2020. "Credit and Liquidity Policies during Large Crises," Working Papers 2020-035, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, revised 22 Feb 2024.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedlwp:88871
    DOI: 10.20955/wp.2020.035
    Note: Superseded by working paper 2025-019, "When Liquidity Matters: Firm Balance Sheets during Large Crises" (https://doi.org/10.20955/wp.2025.019)
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vasco M. Carvalho, 2014. "From Micro to Macro via Production Networks," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(4), pages 23-48, Fall.
    2. Julian Kozlowski, 2021. "Long-Term Finance and Investment with Frictional Asset Markets," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 411-448, October.
    3. Nina Boyarchenko & Richard K. Crump & Anna Kovner & Or Shachar & Peter Van Tassel, 2020. "The Primary and Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facilities," Liberty Street Economics 20200526a, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
    4. Dingel, Jonathan I. & Neiman, Brent, 2020. "How many jobs can be done at home?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    5. Mahyar Kargar & Benjamin Lester & David Lindsay & Shuo Liu & Pierre-Olivier Weill & Diego Zúñiga, 2021. "Corporate Bond Liquidity during the COVID-19 Crisis [The day coronavirus nearly broke the financial markets]," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 34(11), pages 5352-5401.
    6. Vasco M. Carvalho, 2015. "From Micro to Macro via Production Networks," Working Papers 793, Barcelona School of Economics.
    7. Boyarchenko, Nina & Kovner, Anna & Shachar, Or, 2022. "It’s what you say and what you buy: A holistic evaluation of the corporate credit facilities," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(3), pages 695-731.
    8. David Baqaee & Emmanuel Farhi, 2022. "Supply and Demand in Disaggregated Keynesian Economies with an Application to the COVID-19 Crisis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 112(5), pages 1397-1436, May.
    9. Simon Gilchrist & Egon Zakrajsek, 2012. "Credit Spreads and Business Cycle Fluctuations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 102(4), pages 1692-1720, June.
    10. Gilchrist, Simon & Wei, Bin & Yue, Vivian Z. & Zakrajšek, Egon, 2024. "The Fed takes on corporate credit risk: An analysis of the efficacy of the SMCCF," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
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    Cited by:

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E6 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook
    • G2 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services

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