Economic uncertainty and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from Taiwan

Abstract

We utilize data from publicly listed firms and unlisted entities in Taiwan spanning the period from 1990 to 2020 to investigate the impact of global, Asia-Pacific, China, or Taiwan’s economic uncertainty on firm cash reserves within a small open economy. Our empirical findings indicate that, as economic uncertainty increases, Taiwanese firms demonstrate a tendency to increase their cash holdings, particularly those reliant on exports. Smaller and unlisted export-oriented firms encounter greater challenges in fund management, thereby leading to an augmentation in their cash reserves. Conversely, enterprises primarily focused on domestic sales exhibit a diminished response to uncertainty, with the exception of smaller listed companies that marginally raise their cash holdings. These results illuminate the influence of financing constraints, export reliance, and various uncertainties on decisions pertaining to cash holdings. Furthermore, the study underscores the dependence of Taiwanese firms on trade and emphasizes the impact of external economic uncertainty on their decision-making process.