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06/24/2020
Economic Publications

Are corporate balance sheets in Spain and Italy ready for the COVID-19 shock?

Are corporate balance sheets in Spain and Italy ready for the COVID-19 shock?

Although the second quarter of 2020 is shaping up to be the most challenging period of the year, there are now good reasons to think that the road to recovery will be long and arduous. Despite immediate tax deferrals, liquidity guarantees, it is likely that many firms will find themselves in difficulty.

 

According to Coface forecasts, Spain and Italy will be among the economies hardest hit by COVID-19, contracting by 12.8% and 13.6% respectively in 2020. Corporate insolvencies are expected to increase by 22% in Spain and 37% in Italy by 2021, relative to 2019 levels. For 2021, Coface forecasts that Spain and Italy’s GDP will rebound by 10.2% and 8.9%, leaving the economies 3.9% and 5.9% below 2019 levels.

 

Higher prevalence of vulnerable enterprises in Italy with the spectre of zombie firms

In order to assess the potential impact of this GDP contraction on company balance sheets, Coface ran simulations on the evolution of corporate solvency, using data from the Spanish and Italian central banks that accounts for differences across sectors and firm sizes.

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Diana OROS

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T: +40 37 467 08 86
Email: diana.oros@coface.com
 

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