Power Play: How Bank Market Power Shapes Earnings Management in European SMEs

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Main Authors: Xing Huang, Xiaodong Wang, Liang Han, Yun Shen, Liying Zhou
Format: Artículo Open Access
Published: Wiley 2025
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author Xing Huang
Xiaodong Wang
Liang Han
Yun Shen
Liying Zhou
author_facet Xing Huang
Xiaodong Wang
Liang Han
Yun Shen
Liying Zhou
Xing Huang
Xiaodong Wang
Liang Han
Yun Shen
Liying Zhou
collection Wiley Open Access
contents Power Play: How Bank Market Power Shapes Earnings Management in European SMEs Xing Huang Xiaodong Wang Liang Han Yun Shen Liying Zhou International Journal of Finance & Economics ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of bank market power on borrowing firms' earnings management. Through the lens of banking relationships, we use uniquely matched data on a one‐to‐one banking relationship between 64,635 Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and 471 banks across 17 European countries between 2007 and 2015. We measure bank market power at a disaggregated level, and find an unfavourable effect of bank market power on SME earnings management where SMEs tend to engage in more earnings management when their primary bank possesses a greater level of market power. Such effects are more prominent for firms that are smaller in size, more illiquid, grow more slowly, and over the financial crisis period during which credit supply reduced and SMEs were less incentivised to manage earnings. Our findings contrast with recent empirical evidence from listed firms and bank market deregulation at an aggregated level in the US market. Our results shed new light on supporting evidence for the market power hypothesis. 10.1002/ijfe.70113 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
doi_str_mv 10.1002/ijfe.70113
format Artículo Open Access
id wiley_oa_10_1002_ijfe_70113
institution Wiley Open Access
license_str_mv http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
publishDate 2025
publisher Wiley
record_format wiley_oa
spellingShingle Power Play: How Bank Market Power Shapes Earnings Management in European SMEs
Xing Huang
Xiaodong Wang
Liang Han
Yun Shen
Liying Zhou
International Journal of Finance & Economics
Power Play: How Bank Market Power Shapes Earnings Management in European SMEs Xing Huang Xiaodong Wang Liang Han Yun Shen Liying Zhou International Journal of Finance & Economics ABSTRACT This study examines the effects of bank market power on borrowing firms' earnings management. Through the lens of banking relationships, we use uniquely matched data on a one‐to‐one banking relationship between 64,635 Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and 471 banks across 17 European countries between 2007 and 2015. We measure bank market power at a disaggregated level, and find an unfavourable effect of bank market power on SME earnings management where SMEs tend to engage in more earnings management when their primary bank possesses a greater level of market power. Such effects are more prominent for firms that are smaller in size, more illiquid, grow more slowly, and over the financial crisis period during which credit supply reduced and SMEs were less incentivised to manage earnings. Our findings contrast with recent empirical evidence from listed firms and bank market deregulation at an aggregated level in the US market. Our results shed new light on supporting evidence for the market power hypothesis. 10.1002/ijfe.70113 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
title Power Play: How Bank Market Power Shapes Earnings Management in European SMEs
topic International Journal of Finance & Economics
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijfe.70113