The balance sheet channel of monetary policy working through the euro area corporate bond market is important, as shown by empirical results based on different methods for the first two and a half years since the introduction of the euro. The external finance premium on corporate bonds reflects, among other factors, monetary policy and leads real economic activity in the euro area. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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This study examines the macroeconomic determinants of corporate debt securities in the euro area. The financing costs, as approximated by the cost of debt securities vis-a-vis other sources of corporate finance, and financing needs, as captured by mergers and acquisitions and gross domestic product, are found to be significant determinants in the short and long run. The empirical results are also supportive of substitution between debt security and internal financing unrelated to cost of differentials in the short run and of differences in the determination of long- and short-term debt securities. These findings are robust across different samples and specifications.Corporate finance, debt securities, euro area,

High-yield bond market, financial innovation, diffusion models,