Objective – This paper shows how leverage affects firm's fragility and financial soundness during financial and industry crises.Methodology/Technique – Long term inefficient and zombie firms are explored through the effects of leverage in additional tests.Findings – There are two main...

The moral hazard incentives of the bank safety net predict that distressed banks take on more risk and higher leverage. Since many factors reduce these incentives, including charter value, regulation, and managerial incentives, the net economic effect of these incentives is an empirical...

At the macro level, recent policy-relevant research establishes an association between credit booms and banking distress; the focus is on leverage. However, scant evidence is available at the micro level. This study analyses the relationship between lending growth, leverage, and distress at the...