No significant increase in financially vulnerable firms during the first year of the pandemic
News, Staff memo The total number of financially vulnerable firms did not increase significantly during the first year of the pandemic compared to 2019. This is shown in a new study by Cristina Cella of the Riksbank's Financial Stability Department. However, among financially vulnerable firms, the most vulnerable firms are expected to have increased compared with the previous year.
In addition to estimating how the vulnerability of firms has changed during the most critical months of the pandemic, the study also examines the Swedish banking system's exposure to firms that have been identified as financially vulnerable. The results indicate that the banks' total lending to vulnerable firms has been substantial but relatively unchanged between February 2020 and June 2021.
However, the study points out that there is still uncertainty about the long-term effects of the pandemic. It is therefore important to continue to analyse how exposed the financial system is to potential vulnerabilities.