MINSKY AND THE FINANCIAL FRAGILITY OF THE BRAZILIAN ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION FIRMS

ABSTRACT

This paper applies Hyman Minsky's Financial Fragility Theory (FFT) to analyze the sector of power distribution in Brazil. This theory provides a methodology to classify companies according to the risk of defaulting when facing adverse market conditions. This work adapts the FFT's indicators and taxonomy to the conditions of the electricity distribution sector and applies them to the regulatory accounting data of more than 60 companies between 2007 and 2015. This work gives an original contribution as the major part of the literature of applied studies in the Minskyian tradition has a macroeconomic focus. Differently, this article analyses the sectoral level and works with a government-regulated sector. The results show an increase in the financial fragility of these power distribution firms throughout the period.

KEYWORDS:
financial fragility; Minsky; theory of financial instability; electric energy distribution; Brazil