Corporate finance in the euro area – including background material

This report analyses the financial position of non-financial enterprises in the euro area, in particular the amount of external financing, the choice between debt and equity and the composition and maturity structure of debt. It aims at identifying the main features of the euro area, as well as the peculiarities that depend on the country of origin and the sector of activity. Attention is also devoted to assessing whether a country’s institutional eatures are correlated with different financial structures by firms. In light of the particular interest in the access of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to financing, the report also analyses how financing patterns differ across large, medium-sized and small enterprises. Finally, the report discusses the recent trends observed in the corporate finance landscape of the euro area over the past few years. Although it is still too early to pass final judgement, vast structural changes are underway that could have already influenced in a positive way in the availability of external funds for firms. All in all, a comprehensive understanding of corporate finance in the euro area is important from a monetary policy perspective, given its impact on the transmission mechanism and for productivity and economic growth. Moreover, such an understanding is also relevant from a financial stability perspective. A first assessment is now possible eight years into the third stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), given that sufficient data have been accumulated during this period. This assessment is particularly important as the introduction of the single currency has had significant structural effects on the working of financial markets, increasing their size and liquidity, and fostering cross-border competition. The data available for this report generally cover the period 1995-2005, and the cut-off date for the statistics included is 10 March 2007.

Corporate finance and economic activity in the euro area: Structural issues report 2013

This report analyses and reviews the corporate finance structure of non-financial corporations (NFCs) in the euro area, including how they interact with the macroeconomic environment. Special emphasis is placed on the crisis that began in 2007-08, thus underlining the relevance of financing and credit conditions to investment and economic activity in turbulent times. When approaching such a broad topic, a number of key questions arise. How did the corporate sector’s capital structure, internal and external financing sources, and its tendency to leverage, evolve in the euro area over the last decade and in the run-up to the financial crisis in particular? Did these developments contribute to and/or exacerbate the financial crisis? Did the corporate sector’s response to various shocks and vulnerabilities support or encumber the euro area economy, both during the financial crisis and in its aftermath

The Impact of EU Accession on Austria's Financial Structure

The trend toward deregulation in the Austrian financial system has gained considerable momentum owing to the country's EU accession in 1995. The relative importance of bank intermediation has declined, while the competitive pressure of euro area banks has remained fairly low to date. Austrian banks reacted to the challenges posed by EU membership by adopting, in essence, three strategies: stepping up the number of mergers and acquisitions, cutting resources and internationalizing their business activities, moving especially into the financial markets of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The spectrum of enterprises' financing options has increased considerably as a result of EU membership, whereas hardly any effects have been observed on households' investment decisions.Financial Structure, Austria, Eu Accession

The Role of Corporate Bonds for Finance in Austria

With corporate bond issuance having grown at a fast pace in Austria in recent years, bonds have become firmly established as a pillar of the financing structure of the domestic corporate sector. More and more issuers are smaller firms, and they come from a broad range of industries. Bond financing allows companies to diversify their financing sources and to broaden their creditor base beyond the banking industry. Rather than drive up corporate debt, bonds have become an alternative to bank loans as a borrowing instrument. Compared with loans, bonds allow companies to borrow money over longer horizons, but high upfront costs make this instrument more attractive for companies that need to finance large volumes. Moreover, bonds are not equally appropriate for all financing requirements, which is why they will never fully replace loans in the long term. Finally, more stringent requirements implicitly apply to the quality of a company's credit ratings when companies intend to issue bonds than when they apply for a bank loan. So far, there have been very few cases of bond defaults in Austria.Corporate bonds

Are There Signs of a Credit Crunch in Austria?

This study examines the existing statistical evidence on corporate loan growth for signs of a credit crunch in Austria. With regard to banks’ loan supply, the Austrian results of the bank lending survey show that since the onset of the crisis in summer 2007 lending has been affected by deteriorated refinancing conditions in the interbank market and has become more restrictive. Loan demand, which in the first half of 2008 was still fairly brisk based on expanding investment and a sound earnings situation in the corporate sector, is likely to sag in the near future as a decrease in the willingness to invest is to be expected. The credit standing of firms is expected to deteriorate for cyclical reasons in the near future, too, which would also contribute to a slowdown in lending. As it seems to be relatively likely that loan supply will decline more strongly than loan demand, the emergence of a credit crunch cannot be ruled out in Austria.bank lending, credit crunch, corporate finance

Have Changes in the Financial Structure Affected Bank Profitability? Evidence for Austria

We examine the impact of changes in the financial structure of the Austrian banking sector over the past 15 years, such as disintermediation, internationalization and privatization, on the profitability of banks. Several proxies based on bank balance sheet data at the micro level as well as macroeconomic variables are used to capture these changes. The case of Austria is particularly interesting because country-specific developments, such as the opening-up of the banking sector due to EU accession, coincided with the global deregulation of banking activities. Our estimation results, which are based on dynamic panel regression methods, indicate that disintermediation (a lower percentage of loans over total assets) and higher market concentration in the banking sector had a positive effect on bank profitability, while, surprisingly, changes in the ownership structure (privatization and increased foreign ownership) as well as more foreign lending by Austrian banks did not have a clear-cut or significant impact on bank profits

Institutional Determinants of Equity Financing in Austria

This study examines which institutional determinants are chiefly responsible for the fact that the capital structure of Austrian companies is dominated by debt. An international comparison shows that company taxation is generally not financing-neutral and, given the observed differences in equity ratios between countries, cannot be the primary factor influencing capital structure choice. Instead, the nature of creditor protections, which determine the position of investors and lenders in the event of bankruptcy, is probably a far more decisive factor. Equity ratios decline in parallel with creditor-friendly provisions across countries. Because of the predominance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Austria, the Hausbank principle plays an important role in determining capital structure. The associated intensive exchange of information between banks and companies allows borrowings to take on the functions usually performed by equity. In the future, financial market innovations and the transfer of severance pay and pension entitlements to outside institutions could have an influence on capital structure.Financing Policy, Bankruptcy

The Impact of Economic Factors on Bank Profits

This study examines the impact of macroeconomic changes on bank profits that Austrian banks have experienced over the past 15 years. We used several proxies based on balance sheet data at the individual bank level, as well as macroeconomic variables to capture these changes, and additionally controlled for a number of microeconomic factors. Our estimation is based on panel regression analysis using unconsolidated micro-level data reported by all Austrian banks from 1995 to 2009. While we found that disintermediation (fewer loans in total assets) and the degree of concentration in the banking sector had a positive effect on bank profitability, changes in the ownership structure (privatization and increased foreign ownership), as well as more foreign lending by Austrian banks, did not, on the basis of unconsolidated data, have a clear-cut or significant impact on bank profits. As in other countries, bank profits in Austria are contingent on the business cycle and are positively influenced by the spread between long-term and short-term interest rates.bank profitability, banking market structure, panel econometrics, Austrian banks

Indicators for Analyzing the Risk Exposure of Enterprises and Households

This paper describes indicators that were developed to analyze the exposure of enterprises and households to financial risks. In this context, we distinguish three types of risk: interest rate risk, price risk and exchange rate risk. Our indicators measure risk exposure by the share of financial instruments exposed to these risks in the assets and liabilities of enterprises and households. Specific conceptual and technical problems arise when recording indirect investment via financial intermediaries. Statistics compiled by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (OeNB) are used as the primary data basis. Although the indicators lack informative value at the micro level, they facilitate an analysis of corporate and household risk performance at the sectoral level.Risk analysis, nonfinancial corporations, households, exposure indicators, financial stability