The Effect of Macroeconomics, Firm Size, Assets Growth, and Liquidity on Financial Distress and Hedging with Good Corporate Governance as a Moderation Variable in Manufacturing Companies Listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange

Abstract

Changes in currency exchange rates have an impact on currency appreciation and depreciation. One alternative that can help in managing risks arising from fluctuations in exchange rates is by utilizing hedging instruments. This research aimed to investigate the empirical evidence regarding the effect of macroeconomics, firm size, asset growth and liquidity on financial distress and hedging with good corporate governance as a moderation variable. The population were manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesian stock exchange and implementing hedging strategy in 2020-2022. Seventeen companies were selected as samples using purposive sampling techniques. Hypothesis testing was carried out by means of Structural Equation Model (SEM) approach based on the Partial Least Square (PLS). Among the 10 analysed hypotheses, 5 were proven to be accepted and the other 5 were rejected. The findings show the followings. The 2 exogenous variables (macroeconomics and asset growth) affected the endogenous variable (hedging), meanwhile the other 3 exogenous variables (firm size, liquidity and financial distress) did not affect it. The 3 exogenous variables (firm size, asset growth and liquidity) were proven to influence the endogenous variable (financial distress), whereas the variable of macroeconomics was not proven as such. Meanwhile, good corporate governance, as a moderation variable, did not provide full support for the causal relationship between financial distress and hedging.