Following the financial crisis, total outstanding loans to businesses by commercial banks dropped off substantially. Large loans outstanding began to rebound by the third quarter of 2010 and essentially returned to their previous growth trajectory while small loans outstanding continued to...

This paper analyzes the effects of bank mergers on bank firm relationships. Using matched bank-firm level data, I find that mergers disrupt lending relationships, specially to small borrowers of target banks. However, I find significant positive effects of mergers for borrowers that continue the...

We examine the influence of cross country differences on debt maturity for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) using a sample of 3366 SMEs from 19 European countries. We analyze a country's legal environment, institutional environment, banking structure and economic situation while...

Using Bank of Italy data on Italian banks in the period 1990-2004, the paper analyses the short and long-run effects of the concentration of the banking industry on the availability of credit to small and medium-sized firms. Our study employs a bank-based approach and investigates the...

This study empirically evaluates the impact of consolidation activity in the credit union system on the rate of business formation. Drawing on Canadian provincial-level data over the period 1992-2009, it provides evidence which suggests that consolidation activity is unlikely to hurt business...

Using data from a Taiwanese finance company, this paper empirically investigates the value of soft information, information that requires the subjective interpretation by the loan officers who collect it and cannot be credibly transmitted to others, for making small business loans. It finds that...

This paper studies how credit constraints develop over bank relationships. I analyze a unique dataset of matched loan application and loan contract information and measure credit constraints as the ratio of requested to granted loan amounts. I find that the most important determinants of...

This study examines how consolidation activity in the credit union system may impact small business lending. Drawing on Canadian provincial-level data over the period 1992-2009, it provides systematic evidence which suggests that the size of credit unions has a statistically significant negative...

Based on the few studies in their 2009 literature review, Craig, Jackson, and Thomson find that the economic impact of SBA loans on regional economic performance is positive, albeit small This study analyzes the relationships between economic performance and SBA lending using a panel of...