How Much Leverage is too Much, or Does Corporate Risk Determine the Severity of a Recession?

Author/Editor:

Iryna V. Ivaschenko

Publication Date:

January 1, 2003

Electronic Access:

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Disclaimer: This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF.The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate

Summary:

Economic theory suggests that vulnerable financial conditions of the corporate sector can trigger or worsen an economy-wide recession. This paper proposes a measure of corporate vulnerability, the Corporate Vulnerability Index (CVI) and analyses whether it can explain the probability and severity of recessions. The CVI is constructed as the default probability for the entire corporate sector, using the model of corporate debt by Anderson, Sundaresan, and Tychon (1996). The CVI is shown to be a significant predictor of the probability of a recession 4 to 6 quarters ahead, even controlling for other leading indicators. An increase in the CVI is also associated with an increase in the probability of a more severe and lengthy recession 3 to 6 quarters ahead.

Series:

Working Paper No. 2003/003

Subject:

Bond yields Corporate bonds Financial institutions Financial services Financial statements Public financial management (PFM) Stocks Yield curve

English

Publication Date:

January 1, 2003

ISBN/ISSN:

9781451841923/1018-5941

Stock No:

WPIEA0032003

Pages:

32

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