Search Results (26)

This study examines how board diversity affects the capital structure decisions of United Kingdom (UK)-listed firms on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) under varying market conditions for the period from 2002 to 2021. Data were gathered from BoardEx, ORBIS, and DataStream databases. Linear regression and fixed-effect models were used, along with transition two- and three-regime regression models. The findings reveal that educational diversity consistently negatively affects capital structure across all market conditions. Gender diversity and board independence improve capital structure, except in extreme market states. However, age diversity negatively influences capital structure only in extremely bad market conditions, while board size positively impacts capital structure in good, moderate, and extremely good markets. Nationality diversity has no significant effect across all market conditions. These results align with pecking order, trade-off, and agency theories, emphasizing the need to balance debt and equity. This study highlights the importance of tailoring board composition to market conditions. Enhancing gender diversity and board independence can improve debt financing, especially in stable markets. Companies are encouraged to continually assess board diversity to align with shifting market dynamics for better capital structure decisions. Full article

This paper investigates the firm-level determinants of debt policy in private family SMEs. It employs a comparative analysis of two sub-samples of family and non-family SMEs using panel data from 200 Moroccan SMEs over the period from 2018 to 2022. The findings reveal that family SMEs adopt a conservative financing strategy, maintaining lower debt levels compared to their non-family counterparts. This conservative approach appears to be driven by risk considerations related to bankruptcy costs associated with higher debt levels. Indeed, the results show that the financing behaviors of family SMEs align more closely with pecking order theory than trade-off theory. Furthermore, the study suggests that the financing behavior of family SMEs differs slightly from that of non-family SMEs, but this difference is not resistant to changes in debt measures. This study makes several contributions to the literature. First, it identifies the key determinants of debt policy among family SMEs, offering insights into the distinctive financing strategies employed by these firms. Second, it offers evidence supporting the relevance of capital structure theories in explaining the financing decisions of family firms within the context of developing economies. In addition, the study’s findings have practical implications insofar as they can guide policymakers and banking stakeholders, especially those in bank-based economies where debt is the primary financing option for SMEs, in conceiving adapted financing options that align with the characteristics of family firms, thereby fostering their growth and, consequently, the economy’s development. Full article

This study was conducted using the dynamic panel two-stage least squares system generalized methods of moments (2SLS-system GMM) to examine how UK companies made capital structure decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contrary to expectations, firms opted to reduce their debt exposure during the pandemic. Tobin’s Q was the most significant determinant of capital structure, as it mitigated total debt by 0.25% during the pandemic. This result aligns with the pecking order theory, suggesting that firms prefer internal financing over debt. Simultaneously, combined scores (ESG) and the decomposed environment (E), social (S), and governance (G) scores individually and paired with the COVID-19 dummy negatively affected short-term debt by 0.012%, 0.015%, 0.0068%, and 0.00434%, respectively. This study’s results highlight the significance of firms adopting less debt-heavy policies during periods of heightened uncertainty to effectively manage financial risk. This result underscores the importance of prudent financial risk management strategies for navigating the challenges posed by sudden crises. Our findings suggest that a complex interplay of factors influences capital structure decisions during crises, with debt reduction and prudent risk management emerging as critical strategies. Full article

In the context of implementing the new agricultural strategy, “Generation Green 2020–2030”, Moroccan agricultural SMEs are benefiting from specific lines of credit and significant financial incentives. This study focuses on assessing how the capital structure influences the financial performance of these medium-sized enterprises, based on an analysis of a sample of 30 agricultural SMEs over a period of 4 years from 2019 to 2022. This examination delves into the effects of debt, government subsidies, and their combined impact on the return on equity and assets of these SMEs. The findings reveal a significant negative correlation between capital structure and the financial performance of agricultural SMEs. This underscores the importance of advocating for self-financing in line with the pecking order theory, as debt appears to significantly diminish asset returns. Additionally, although government subsidies alone do not significantly influence enterprise profitability, their interplay with capital structure—especially long-term debt—exhibits a detrimental moderating effect on asset returns. This suggests that subsidies play a significant role in moderating the relationship between capital structure and SME financial performance, albeit with an adverse effect. Full article

Several empirical studies indicate that the lack of financing is one of the main barriers that affects the economic growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The main objective of this investigation was to determine to what extent the economic sector, the enterprise size, the characteristics inherent to the enterprise, the legal status, the variables linked to the performance of the enterprise, and the attributes of the owner influence the access to the bank financing of SMEs in Mexico. Using a discrete-response probit regression model, the impact of enterprise characteristics on the probability of obtaining a bank loan was determined. The data collected are from the Enterprise Surveys of Mexico, carried out by the World Bank. The sample of 1480 enterprises is representative by enterprise size, by economic sector, and by region. The research has a quantitative approach with a correlational scope, and a nonexperimental and transectional design. One of the main results highlights that the determinants with the greatest influence on access to bank financing are: the age, the small size, foreign participation, and the manufacturing sector. These results are consistent with other empirical studies, as well as with the pecking-order theory and the financial life-cycle theory. Full article

Financial institutions, particularly banks, have long grappled with the dilemma of structuring their capital optimally. This process, commonly referred to as capital structure decision-making, is of paramount importance, especially within the financial services sector, where strict regulations are imposed by reserve and central banks in alignment with global Basel guidelines. This study unveils the key factors that determine the capital structure choices of African banks, using panel data encompassing 45 listed banks across six nations that had embraced the Basel III Accord spanning the years 2010 to 2019. The study used the system-generalised moment methods (sys-GMM) estimator to fit the formulated panel data regression model. The study findings showed positive associations between ZSCORE, an indicator of bank financial stability, and net interest margin ratio (NIMR) with bank leverage (TCTE). In addition, the results revealed positive correlations between earnings volatility (EV), profitability (P), and risk (R) with bank leverage (TDCE). This suggests that profitable banks are inclined to favour debt financing, a phenomenon driven by their ability to comfortably service debt obligations with free cash flows. This study’s overarching conclusion underscores the dominant influence of the Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) on African bank capital structures. Whether assessing traditional or Basel III-prescribed measures of bank leverage, LCR consistently emerged as the primary determinant. This finding is of significant relevance to bank executives and regulators, offering them essential insights for informed decision-making by considering striking a balance between equity and debt financing based on financial stability, profitability, and risk profiles. Full article

The hotel industry has been one of the fastest-growing economic sectors in Portugal in recent years. According to the European Best Destinations website, Portugal has consolidated itself as a destination of excellence. The explanation of the capital structure of firms remains relevant in financial research. However, prior international empirical evidence is not exclusive and is still scarce in the Portuguese hotel sector, which motivated this research. This study aimed to analyse the influence of determinants on the capital structure of 821 Portuguese hotels between 2011 and 2019 (until the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the international tourism sector) and to determine whether strategies were conducted according to trade-off and pecking order theories. This study used an econometric approach based on the static panel data model, with tests recommending the fixed effects model estimated by the least squares dummy variables (LSDV) within. The analysed determinants were return on assets, size, tangibility, growth opportunities, risk and other tax benefits besides debt in order to explain the indebtedness through three alternative measures. The results of this research show that managers sought an optimal combination of equity and debt, which was weighted between tax savings and the cost of financial distress. However, they pursued this objective through the hierarchical sequencing of funding sources in order to minimise the costs of information asymmetry. Full article

Capital structure plays an important role in corporate finance, especially in the period of restrictive monetary policy in many developed countries. This paper aims to estimate the debt ratio based on five selected financial indicators: tangibility, return on assets, size of total assets, current ratio, and size of total sales using multiple linear regression for four countries, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, as well as the V4 region. The total sample consists of 3828 small- and medium-sized enterprises from the transport sector in the Central European area. These data are drawn from Amadeus by Bureau van Dijk from 2019. The results show that three of the five variables are statistically significant in all models. These findings indicate that transport companies prefer the pecking order theory. We find that the increase in tangibility, return on assets, as well as current ratio, reduce the debt ratio. The outputs provide new theoretical and empirical knowledge regarding transport companies in V4. Full article

Environmental, regulatory, and economic exogenous disruptions force companies within the maritime shipping industry to become more sustainable. Financing for implementing the necessary changes is particularly challenging for these companies, considering their narrow margins. With the changes in the shipping industry being intrinsically capital-intensive, funding is a particular issue, as few institutional or individual investors can provide the capital required. This paper investigates the challenges of financing. Drawing from the theory of pecking order on debt and equity, it conceptualizes the relation between the modes of financing for the maritime shipping companies and the nature of the disruptions. Initially, we analyze the various IMO decarbonization regulations, GHG emissions, alternative fuels, and green energy. Moreover, the relationship between fleet operation and management and finance is explored. The paper provides a framework to illustrate from a financial perspective the plethora of challenges and disruptions that have troubled the industry. We then recommend more suitable funding routes for companies to gauge the proper mix of equity and debt levels, bonds, and leverage, based on the company’s characteristics, such as size or ESG performance, as analyzed via the lens of corporate financing, along with the nature of the disruption, such as high inflation or geopolitical conflicts. In more detail, the paper focuses on key environmental, social, and governance (ESG) drivers both in the short-term and the long-term within the dry bulk shipping industry: impact investing and ESG factors are driving new investment opportunities and contributing to risk mitigation and long-term investment returns. The most pressing financial and economic questions of the time are wildly extended equity and bond valuations, inflation, and the conundrum most central banks face. Given these uncertainties, from an investment perspective for equity markets, the risk/return outlook for risk assets is skewed to the downside, making a cautious approach prudent for maritime shipping companies. Full article

This paper investigates the nonlinear relationship between capital structure and firm performance in the MENA region using a sample of 499 listed firms over the 2007–2020 period, or 6986 firm-year observations. Specifically, we examine the size-threshold effect in the capital structure–firm performance nexus. To do so, this study applies a dynamic panel threshold regression model (DPTR). The findings show that there is a nonlinear relationship between debt and firm performance (Tobin’s Q, ROA, and ROE). Specifically, the threshold values of firm size for the three models are estimated at 9.126 (about $1 million), 15.48 (about $5 million), and 16.816 (about $20 million), respectively, between the low- and the high-sized regimes. In the lower regime, the firm’s value (Q) increases when debt increases; however, in the higher regime, this value decreases when debt increases. Furthermore, in the lower regime, the performances (ROA and ROE) of small firms decrease when debt increases; however, in the upper regime, when debt increases, the performances of large firms increase. The results are several robustness tests. These results support the predictions of signal, pecking order, and trade-off theories. Managers of large (small) MENA firms should increase (decrease) the use of debt to improve performance. Full article

The subject of research in the paper is the capital structure of companies in the Republic of Serbia. The research sample consists of companies that operated in the manufacturing industry in the Republic of Serbia in the period 2006–2020. The aim of the research is to identify firm-specific variables that have significant influence on the capital structure of the analyzed companies. Using a panel data methodology, three leverage models were estimated: long-term leverage, short-term leverage, and total leverage. The research results confirm the importance of company size, profitability, tangibility, and risk in determining the capital structure of companies in the Republic of Serbia. However, the research results show that size, profitability, and tangibility of assets have the opposite effect on long-term leverage compared to short-term and total leverage. That is, the behavior of companies in the Republic of Serbia in the case of long-term leverage is in accordance with the predictions of the trade-off theory, while in the case of short-term and total leverage, the behavior of companies can be explained by the pecking order theory. Full article

This paper focuses on strategic corporate financial decisions related to capital structure to increased firm value, moderated by the COVID-19 pandemic under MM theory, trade-off theory, and pecking order theory. The analytical method used is panel data analysis, with observations of 1828 non-financial companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from the years 2019 to 2021. The results show that there is an effect of capital structure on firm value in a positive direction, and the moderating role of the COVID-19 pandemic weakens the effect of capital structure on firm value. The findings show that capital structure only has a significant effect on firm value for the debt-dominant group, but not for the equity-dominant group. The moderating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic affects firm value for the debt-dominant group, but not for the equity-dominant group. Full article

Corporate social responsibility (CSR), ethics, and sustainability have become an inseparable part of the discourse of modern business. Applying linear regression and comparison of intervals of beta-coefficients, we focused on the mediating role of CSR in the relations between capital structure and its determinants. Examining the sample of European large caps, we observed that CSR companies are significantly more leveraged than non-CSR ones. The influence of the corporate income tax rate and depreciation and amortization on leverage does not differ significantly between CSR and non-CSR companies. Moreover, tax shields seem to be insignificant for both CSR and non-CSR companies. However, we should stress that, for depreciation and amortization, the beta coefficient has a different significance in the model of CSR companies, compared to the model of non-CSR companies. Also, the difference between the models regarding the relations of leverage and asset tangibility is worth noting. Non-CSR companies with a higher proportion of fixed assets have lower leverage. This result was not confirmed for CSR companies. The hypothesis that CSR replaces the role of collateral cannot be confirmed. Available cash influences leverage negatively in both models, supporting the pecking-order theory. This result is much stronger for non-CSR companies compared to CSR ones. This study found fewer statistically significant differences between CSR and non-CSR companies regarding capital structure determinants than were expected. Full article

This paper aimed to research the interrelation between capital structure, corporate governance, equity ownership, and how they affect firm performance. The sample used consisted of 10 leading-energy-sector companies traded in the NYSE, most of which rank among the largest companies in the world by market capitalization, while the US-based ones are also Fortune 500 companies. Over the eleven-year period examined, from 2009 to 2019, a sampling frame of 110 data series was gathered and analyzed using panel data methodologies. The impact of the key parameters of capital structure, corporate governance, and equity ownership was tested using regression analysis (panel data method) on firm performance, measured by profitability. Our results support a significant relation among major capital structure and corporate governance parameters and firm performance, whereas no evidence was found to support a significant impact of equity ownership on the dependent variable found ascertained. Furthermore, our findings support that in our sample firms, pecking order and agency cost theories play an important role in the financing of these firms, while static trade and irrelevance theory find no support. Full article

Using an unbalanced panel of 922 non-financial companies publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange during January 1995 and September 2014, this article tests the predictions of Pecking Order Theory (POT), Trade-off Theory (TOT) and Market Timing Theory (MTT) of capital structure through the lens of macroeconomic conditions. We find strong evidence that leverage is negatively associated with the business cycle but positively related to stock market performance, which is consistent with POT. In addition, leverage is negatively related to financial market risk, as predicted by TOT. Furthermore, leverage is positively related to credit supply, which is in line with both the POT and TOT. Finally, there is no evidence in support of MTT. The above results are robust with respect to the measurement of macroeconomic variables, the choice of estimation methods and the inclusion of a dummy variable to account for the effect of the 2008 financial crisis. An important implication is that, because firms tend to be highly levered during business cycle downturns, expansionary fiscal and monetary policies to encourage more business borrowings may not be effective after all. Full article