Using a unique dataset of corporate loans of 13,070 Greek firms for the period 2008-2015 and an identification strategy based on the internal credit ratings of banks, we provide evidence that one out of six firms with non-performing loans are strategic defaulters. Furthermore, we investigate...

Using a sample of bank loans to firms operating in the Greek tourism sector, and regional variation of tourism activities to identify the strategic defaulted firms, we examine the impact of bank consolidation on the firms’ payment behavior. We show that a merger-induced impairment of the...