Firm crash risk, information environment, and speed of leverage adjustment

Zhe An, Donghui Li, Jin Yu

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

    17 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    This paper examines the effect of a firm s crash-risk exposure on its speed of leverage adjustment (SOA), and how this effect is influenced by the information environment of the country in which the firm is located. We employ a panel of 19,247 firms across 41 countries from 1989 to 2013, and we find that firms with a higher crash-risk exposure tend to adjust their financial leverages more slowly toward their targets. This evidence supports the dynamic trade-off theory that firms with larger transaction costs adjust their capital structures less often. Equally important, we document that the negative link between crash-risk exposure and SOA is less pronounced in countries with a more transparent information environment.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)132 - 151
    Number of pages20
    JournalJournal of Corporate Finance
    Volume31
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2015

    Cite this

    An, Zhe ; Li, Donghui ; Yu, Jin. / Firm crash risk, information environment, and speed of leverage adjustment. In: Journal of Corporate Finance. 2015 ; Vol. 31. pp. 132 - 151.
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    abstract = "This paper examines the effect of a firm s crash-risk exposure on its speed of leverage adjustment (SOA), and how this effect is influenced by the information environment of the country in which the firm is located. We employ a panel of 19,247 firms across 41 countries from 1989 to 2013, and we find that firms with a higher crash-risk exposure tend to adjust their financial leverages more slowly toward their targets. This evidence supports the dynamic trade-off theory that firms with larger transaction costs adjust their capital structures less often. Equally important, we document that the negative link between crash-risk exposure and SOA is less pronounced in countries with a more transparent information environment.",
    author = "Zhe An and Donghui Li and Jin Yu",
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    An, Z, Li, D & Yu, J 2015, 'Firm crash risk, information environment, and speed of leverage adjustment', Journal of Corporate Finance, vol. 31, pp. 132 - 151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2015.01.015

    Firm crash risk, information environment, and speed of leverage adjustment. / An, Zhe; Li, Donghui; Yu, Jin.

    In: Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 31, 2015, p. 132 - 151.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

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    T1 - Firm crash risk, information environment, and speed of leverage adjustment

    AU - An, Zhe

    AU - Li, Donghui

    AU - Yu, Jin

    PY - 2015

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    AB - This paper examines the effect of a firm s crash-risk exposure on its speed of leverage adjustment (SOA), and how this effect is influenced by the information environment of the country in which the firm is located. We employ a panel of 19,247 firms across 41 countries from 1989 to 2013, and we find that firms with a higher crash-risk exposure tend to adjust their financial leverages more slowly toward their targets. This evidence supports the dynamic trade-off theory that firms with larger transaction costs adjust their capital structures less often. Equally important, we document that the negative link between crash-risk exposure and SOA is less pronounced in countries with a more transparent information environment.

    U2 - 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2015.01.015

    DO - 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2015.01.015

    M3 - Article

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    EP - 151

    JO - Journal of Corporate Finance

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    SN - 0929-1199

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    An Z, Li D, Yu J. Firm crash risk, information environment, and speed of leverage adjustment. Journal of Corporate Finance. 2015;31:132 - 151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2015.01.015

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