In developed countries, the first studies on forecasting bankruptcy date to the early 20th century. In Central and Eastern Europe, due to, among other factors, the geopolitical situation and the introduced economic system, this issue became the subject of researcher interest only in the 1990s. Therefore, it is worthwhile to analyze whether these countries conduct bankruptcy risk assessments and what their level of advancement is. The main objective of the article is the review and assessment of the level of advancement of bankruptcy prediction research in countries of the former Eastern Bloc, in comparison to the latest global research trends in this area. For this purpose, the method of analyzing scientific literature was applied. The publications chosen as the basis for the research were mainly based on information from the Google Scholar and ResearchGate databases during the period Q4 2016–Q3 2017. According to the author’s knowledge, this is the first such large-scale study involving the countries of the former Eastern Bloc—which includes the following states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, Hungary, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and Belarus. The results show that the most advanced research in this area is conducted in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Estonia, Russia, and Hungary. Belarus Bulgaria and Latvia are on the other end. In the remaining countries, traditional approaches to predicting business insolvency are generally used.

The literature review indicates that bankruptcy law may play an important role in and be one of the factors influencing the development of entrepreneurship, innovation, and thus economic growth, among other things. In previous studies, the analysis of the impact of bankruptcy law on individual variables has been conducted independently. Our aim was to conduct a holistic analysis, taking several factors into account simultaneously. Therefore, a descriptive model was proposed, based on which the following research hypothesis was formulated:In countries characterised by an effective legal system and at the same time debtor-friendly bankruptcy law, the level of risk acceptance among entrepreneurs is higher, which is reflected in higher levels of entrepreneurship and innovation.Based on the selected variables, a cross-sectional analysis was conducted using linear models estimated on the basis of the least-squares method. Additionally, to strengthen the conclusions drawn, the models were assessed in such a way enabling the analysis of causality as defined by Granger based on the two-step process. The results obtained allowed us to confirm the research hypothesis: in countries characterised by an efficient legal system and at the same time debtor-friendly bankruptcy law, the level of risk acceptance among entrepreneurs is higher, which is reflected in higher levels of entrepreneurship and innovation. The research results are particularly important from the point of view of legislators who are responsible for drafting amendments to bankruptcy law. Including certain debtor-friendly provisions may, in the long run, lead to increased entrepreneurship and innovation, and thus economic development.

This study aims to check market reaction to filing for bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings and to verify the short-term effect of a price reversal in the Polish market in the years 2004–2019. The research was conducted by dividing the analysed companies according to the procedure (bankruptcy and restructuring) and market (the main market and the NewConnect market). The research methodology used in the study is the event analysis method (AR, CAR, AAR and CAAR rates were used in the research), with a few statistical tests (T-test, Generalized rank Z Test, Generalized rank T-Test, Patell or Standardized Residual Test, Kolari and Pynnönen adjusted Patell or Standardized Residual Test). It was found that share prices in the Polish share market react quickly to public information about filing an application for bankruptcy or restructuring. For all analysed companies, the mean rate of return on the event day was equal to −14%, and on the next day, it was −3%. Regardless of the type of share market and the form of proceedings, the reversal effect was not confirmed in the short term. It was found that cumulative above-average rates of return fall more strongly for companies listed on the less liquid Newconnect market (−23.6%), and when information on the filing for bankruptcy proceedings is provided (−28.5%), as opposed to the main market (−19.1%) and restructuring proceedings (−17%). The cumulative average rate of return for all analysed companies in the research period (−2, +10 days) was equal to −20.6%.

This study aims to examine the impact of the net‐zero policy on forward default risk at the firm level within the energy sector of the US, spanning over the period 2007–2021. The research employs Panel Vector Autoregression (PVAR) modeling, as well as linear and non‐linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) models to investigate this relationship. The findings suggest that the implementation of net‐zero policy measures can have complex effects on firms' default risk in both the short and long run. The PVAR results confirm a unidirectional negative impact of net‐zero policies on forward default risk over 2, 3, and 5 years. The symmetric ARDL model results show a negative long‐run impact on the future probability of default, with short‐run impacts being positive across all time horizons. The asymmetric ARDL model findings indicate that positive net‐zero measures reduce the probability of default in the long run and increase it in the short run across all time horizons. Conversely, negative shocks of net‐zero measures lead to an increase in the forward probability of default in the long run. The differences in findings between the long and short run are attributed to the effects of capital expenditures on infrastructure expenses required to achieve net‐zero results. This study contributes to the literature on financial outcomes and the impact of adopting sustainable development and net‐zero goals. The policy implications suggest that a supportive institutional framework must be provided to reduce the financial default in energy sector firms, which will assist in capital and infrastructure expenditures in the short run.