This paper examines the effect of Basel III implementation on the access to finance of small and medium-size enterprises in 32 emerging markets and developing economies. Analyzing rich, repeated cross-sectional data and a panel of matched firm-bank data in a difference-in-differences setting...

This paper examines the links between firm age, firm size and the ability to obtain capital in a sample of European SMEs. The results indicate that age and size are positively linked to debt capacity. Furthermore, our analysis reveals that it is crucial to distinguish between bank debt financing...

We distill evidence about the effects of COVID-19 on companies. Stock price reactions to the shock differed greatly across firms, depending on their resilience to social distancing, financial flexibility, and corporate culture. The same characteristics affected the response of firms' sales,...

With the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in March 2020, small business lending through fintech lenders collapsed. We explore the reasons for the market shutdown using detailed data about loan applications, offers, and take-up from a major small business fintech credit platform. We document that...

The availability of internal and external financing sources significantly influences firms' investments and growth. Even profitable firms with ample financing in normal times can be adversely affected by demand and supply shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy crisis, or the recent...

This study uses firm level survey data to assess whether the capital structure theory is portable to small firms in developing countries and whether country characteristics play a role in their financing decisions. Using a sample of both small companies and large firms from 24 developing...