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Descrição Detalhada da Publicação
Low-leverage policy dynamics: an empirical analysis
Título Revista
Review of Accounting and Finance
Ano (publicação definitiva)
2016
Língua
Inglês
País
Reino Unido
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Abstract/Resumo
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights into the low-leverage phenomenon by analyzing the dynamics of firms' financing policies. The authors explore three theoretical explanations of firms' motivations to switch among different levels of debt aversion: financial constraints, financial flexibility and financial distress.
Design/methodology/approach - The authors apply a multilevel mixed-effects model to a panel data sample of 9,005 US listed firms during 1987-2014. To use a multinomial ordered logit model, the authors break down the low-leverage firms into several levels of debt aversion.
Findings - The empirical analysis provides four main findings. First, there is a dynamic behavior regarding leverage policy: after five years, 39.4 per cent of initial zero debt firms remain all-equity firms, 14.2 per cent are leveraged firms and approximately 19.7 per cent still adopt a low-leverage policy. Second, greater asset volatility increases the expected likelihood that firms will be debt averse. Third, when firms grow bigger and older, they show a greater likelihood of moving toward a higher leverage level. Fourth, results derived from the investment variables of research and development, acquisitions, and capital expenditure provide strong evidence in favor of the financial flexibility hypothesis.
Practical implications - These findings suggest that conservative debt policy is integrated with corporate investment decisions.
Originality/value - This paper contributes to extant literature by emphasizing the dynamic process associated with a low-leverage policy, unlike prior studies that focus on the determinants and characteristics of low-leverage firms. It also applies an econometric methodology that is new to the field: multilevel models.
Agradecimentos/Acknowledgements
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Palavras-chave
Financial constraints,Capital structure,Financial flexibility,Low leverage
Classificação Fields of Science and Technology
- Economia e Gestão - Ciências Sociais