We develop an optimal contracting model in which limited enforcement of financial contracts generates dispersion in marginal products of capital across firms. We show that the optimal contract can be implemented using state-contingent transfers and a simple collateral constraint that limits the...

How does firm dynamically adjust its capital and debt structure in response to interest rate risk? Using micro-data, I find that bond spread increases more than loan spread and firms rebalance towards bank loans and away from corporate bonds in response to unexpected monetary tightening. I...

The financial economics literature emphasizes the stress of financial intermediaries (FIs), measured by leverage and collateral constraints, as an important driver of asset prices and quantities. We identify a new and equally important channel through which FIs affect risk and the real sector:...