Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/290125 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Citation: 
[Journal:] Aussenwirtschaft [ISSN:] 0004-8216 [Volume:] 73 [Issue:] 1 [Year:] 2023 [Pages:] 67-86
Publisher: 
Universität St.Gallen, Schweizerisches Institut für Aussenwirtschaft und Angewandte Wirtschaftsforschung (SIAW-HSG), St.Gallen
Abstract: 
We examine whether low interest rates foster non-viable firms in Europe by analyzing two classes of firms: zombies and distressed. Controlling for the business cycle and recession periods, we find a significantly negative effect of short-term rates on the likelihood of being a zombie, while no effect for distressed firms is detected. A decrease in inflation and a lower state of the business cycle is associated with a rise in both zombies and distressed firms. Examining a non- conventional monetary policy program, we find no evidence of credit misallocation. Therefore, concurring monetary and macroeconomic phenomena likely explain the presence of non-viable firms, although with dissimilarities between zombies and distressed firms.
Subjects: 
zombie firms
distressed firms
monetary policy
business cycle
JEL: 
D22
E32
E43
E52
G33
Document Type: 
Article

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