This paper empirically investigates the relationship between interbank competition, bank orientation and credit availability for a sample of more than 30,000 loans granted by a large banking group operating in the Italian credit market. We test whether and how, during a credit crunch period,...

We analyse whether relationship lending reduces borrowers’ probability of default and, if so, whether this beneficial effect also applies to borrowers who are more exposed to the economic downturn. By using unique, matched data of 43,000 firms and their lending institutions between 2008 and...

We analyze whether relationship lending reduces borrowers' probability of default and, if so, whether this beneficial effect also applies to borrowers who are more exposed to the economic downturn. By using unique, matched data of 43,000 firms and their lending institutions between 2008 and...