Abstract:
This paper investigates the relationship between SME’s access to banking debt and the dynamic of local banking structure. Using a unique dataset built from the compilation of firm-level data from Amadeus and bank branch data from OGRB over the 2014-2018 period, we are able to observe the influence of local banking market dynamics on the financing capacity of small firms. We observe that branch closures, at the zip code level, significantly reduce the level of long-term debt of firms located in the same zip code. Furthermore, we observe that the negative effect of bank closures on firms' financing capacity is stronger for smaller and standalone firms.
Our results have several managerial implications for banks and policy makers regarding the risk of financial exclusion and the economic.