Financial conditions and corporate investment: evidence from Vietnam

Abstract

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the influence of macro-financial conditions on firm-level capital allocation as a micro-transmission mechanism of monetary policy in Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ a dynamic model of investment based on the Euler equation approach that allows for financial frictions. The financial conditions are proxied by a composite index of the current states of financial variables, including interest rates, exchange rates, stock prices, and credit demand – which captures short-term shocks in monetary transmission channels. Corporate financing constraints, as a reflection of financial frictions, are measured by the sensitivity of investment to internal funds, which are extensively examined in terms of both negative and positive cash flows.FindingsIn the presence of a non-monotonic (or U-shaped) investment–cash flow relation, the empirical evidence from Vietnamese listed firms indicates that financial conditions affect investment behavior for only firms with negative cash flows, in the sense that better financial conditions alleviate the level of “negative” financing constraints (i.e. the sensitivity of investment to negative cash flow). This effect is greater for larger firms and more likely pronounced for firms without state ownership.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on corporate financing constraints in a manner of considering the macroeconomic dimension, specifically exploring the asymmetric impacts of financial conditions on the investment sensitivity to cash flow.