THE VIRTUAL DEGREE OF LEVERAGED CAPITAL WITHIN CHINESE ENTERPRISES

Abstract

The transition of China's tangible real economy to an intangible economy, along with phenomena such as capital idling and shadow banking, has significantly altered the relationship between financial markets and actual enterprises. As leveraged capital flows into real enterprises, it is crucial to discern how much is allocated to operational endeavors versus financial market investments. Leveraging the logic of asset allocation and capital acquisition in real enterprises, we developed a model to discern the allocation of leveraged capital. Through descriptive analysis, we delineate the landscape of Chinese listed companies' utilization of leveraged capital for financial assets. Our findings reveal that the proportion of Chinese enterprises holding leveraged capital has steadily risen, surpassing 86.53%, with an increasing trend in leveraged enterprises utilizing capital for financial asset acquisition, growing from 35.02% to 79.12% annually. Among leveraged enterprises investing in financial assets, the portion of leveraged capital directed toward such investments escalates annually, from 20.44% to 46.37%. However, as leveraged capital increases, the ratio allocated to financial assets diminishes. Approximately 14.38% of all leveraged enterprises allocate more than 50% of their financial assets through leveraged capital, with the proportion of enterprises solely reliant on leveraged capital for financial asset purchases steadily increasing, reaching 23.35% in 2020, predominantly concentrated in the manufacturing sector. This research holds theoretical significance for understanding the dichotomy between the virtual and tangible applications of leveraged capital at the microlevel. It uncovers the logical mechanisms governing leveraged capital and disparate asset allocations, fostering opportunities for quantitative exploration of the interplay between finance and the tangible economy. Additionally, our insights provide valuable reference points for regulatory bodies seeking to fortify oversight over leveraged capital utilization.