Can the Covid Bailouts Save the Economy?

45 Pages Posted: 26 May 2020 Last revised: 11 Mar 2024

See all articles by Vadim Elenev

Vadim Elenev

Johns Hopkins University

Tim Landvoigt

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh

Columbia University Graduate School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); ABFER

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 2020

Abstract

The covid-19 crisis has led to a sharp deterioration in firm and bank balance sheets. The government has responded with a massive intervention in corporate credit markets. We study equilibrium dynamics of macroeconomic quantities and prices, and how they are affected by government policy. The interventions prevent a much deeper crisis by reducing corporate bankruptcies by about half and short-circuiting the doom loop between corporate and financial sector fragility. The additional fiscal cost is zero since program spending replaces what would otherwise have been spent on intermediary bailouts. The model predicts rising interest rates on government debt and slow debt pay-down. We analyze an alternative intervention that targets aid to firms at risk of bankruptcy. While this policy prevents more bankruptcies and has lower fiscal cost, it only enjoys marginally higher welfare. Finally, we study longer-run consequences for firm leverage and intermediary health when pandemics become the new normal.

Suggested Citation

Elenev, Vadim and Landvoigt, Tim and Van Nieuwerburgh, Stijn, Can the Covid Bailouts Save the Economy? (May 2020). NBER Working Paper No. w27207, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3609660

Vadim Elenev (Contact Author)

Johns Hopkins University ( email )

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Baltimore, MD 20036-1984
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Tim Landvoigt

University of Pennsylvania - The Wharton School ( email )

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Philadelphia, PA 19104-6365
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh

Columbia University Graduate School of Business ( email )

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United States

HOME PAGE: http://https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/svannieuwerburgh/

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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United Kingdom

ABFER ( email )

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Singapore, 117592
Singapore

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