Banks, credit supply, and the life cycle of firms: Evidence from late nineteenth century Japan

John Tang and Sergi Basco

Journal of Banking & Finance, 2023, vol. 154, issue C

Abstract: How does local credit supply affect economic dynamism? Using an exogenous bond shock in historical Japan and new genealogical firm-level data, we empirically examine the effects of credit availability on firm life cycles. We find that the lifespan of firms decreases with bank capital and that capital-abundant regions have more firm creation and destruction. These effects are amplified for manufacturing, while service sector firms experience no change in longevity and have less creation. Our results suggest that samurai bonds were conducive to the emergence of banking, which eased firms’ financial constraints and led to more capital-intensive investment and economic dynamism.

Keywords: Credit supply; Banks; Liquidity constraints; Firm dynamics; Entrepreneurship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: E51 N15 O16 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:154:y:2023:i:c:s0378426623001425

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2023.106937

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