by Ryan Niladri Banerjee, Hyun Song Shin, Jose María Vidal Pastor<br />The elastic supply of money through overdrafts and credit lines overcomes cash-in-advance constraints, enabling large-value payments without waiting for incoming cash. This elasticity is crucial in long supply chains, where cash-in-advance constraints could otherwise cause gridlock. In essence, money elasticity and the supply of working capital are two sides of the same coin, with undrawn credit lines serving as the operative link. This paper examines how shifts in financial conditions influence money elasticity and, in turn, impact firm activity within production networks. Using granular firm-level data, we demonstrate that production-network-driven working capital needs introduce a cyclical element that dances to the tune of financial conditions. Tighter conditions, such as rising credit spreads or a stronger US dollar, significantly reduce output, with spillovers through production networks amplifying the effects. These findings underscore the importance of money elasticity in supporting economic stability.
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