Firm Size Moderate Relationship Between Capital Structure and Profitability with Dividend Policy: An Empirical Evidence from Indonesian Data

Abstract

This study aims to determine effect of capital structure and profitability on dividend policy by including firm size as a moderating variable. The samples in this study were 26 companies from 65 Basic Industrial and Chemical Manufacturing Sector Companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2011-2019, which were determined by purposive technique. The results showed that firm size is a variable that determines the strengthening and weakening of the relationship of capital structure with dividend policy also between profitability with dividend policy. Increasing firm size or increasing company assets do not provide incentives to increase the level of company profitability as measured by return on equity. Likewise, an increase in company assets does not provide incentives to increase dividend ratios, as an estimate of an increase in company income due to increased production capacity and company sales capacity. The larger firm size provides an incentive to increase the debt ratio because of the increasing need for funding to increase its investment in long-term assets. An increase in company size is also an indication for an increase in dividend ratios due to the estimated increase in company profits due to increased company revenue. Therefore, the determinants of capital structure and dividend policy in emerging markets such as the Indonesian market share the same set of suggested factors with the developed markets.