Impact of Ownership Structure on Dividend Policy and Capital Structure: Evidence from Non-Financial Sector of Pakistan.

Abstract

This study primarily investigates the impact of ownership structure on capital structure and dividend policy in Pakistan. Data is drawn from 50 non-financial companies included in KSE 100 Index for the period 2006 to 2014. In this study leverage and dividend payout are used as dependent variables, while managerial ownership and institutional ownership are explanatory variables. Profitability, sales growth and size of firm are used as control variables. Results of this study reveal that institutional ownership has significant and negative impact on capital structure but significant and positive impact on dividend payout ratio. On the other hand results suggest that managerial ownership negatively affects dividend payout ratio. Moreover results reveal that both of these strategic decisions affect each other negatively.Most of the researchers in Pakistan analyzed the impact of ownership structure on these two strategic decisions separately. But in this study, an advanced empirical technique – two stage least square (2SLS) – is used to find out the impact of ownership structure on both of these strategic decisions (Capital structure and Dividend policy). This technique also helps to determine the two-way relationship between these two strategic decisions.