FINANCIAL CRISIS AND LOCAL BANKS: A REVIEW OF BANK-FIRM RELATIONSHIPS IN ITALY

Abstract

This paper focuses on bank-firm relationship in an economic deeply changing environment. The objectives of the paper are two-fold: to understand, compared to the overall banking system, if the lending activities and economic-financial performances of Italian local banks have changed after the outbreak of the financial crisis; and to understand what are the conditions that allow to develop a model of a local bank capable of supporting the development routes of SMEs, by an appropriate risk/return profile. In order to answer the first research question, the paper presented an empirical analysis, covering the period 2007-2011, of Italian Cooperative Credit Banks (a particular category of local banks) compared with the system of bank groups with operability spread over much of the Italian territory and not. The empirical comparative analysis has the aim to see the effects of the crisis on the relationship bank-firm through the reading of the impact on the dynamics of lending and on the profiles of structure, riskiness, profitability and efficiency of the banks under examination. In order to provide an answer to the second research question, the paper provides some insight of evolutionary nature reflection in the bank-firm relationship. In accordance with the doctrinal postulates of the relationship lending the empirical analysis shows how the financial then real crisis has not induced Cooperative Credit Banks to restrict credit to local firms. The survey evidences have however highlighted some critical elements that are reflected inevitably on the local bank’s risk-return profile. Based only on quantitative data of statement, the empirical analysis represents a limit in this kind of research. This paper is useful to stimulate the debate of experts as well as to focus on the studies of local banks in particular in the light of their anti-cyclic role. Even if abounding in subjects about local banks and relationship lending literature faces only marginally the effects of global crisis on business profiles of local banks.