Abstract
This article examines empirically the effect firm reputation has on the determinants of debt maturity. Utilizing data from European primary bond market between 1999 and 2005, I find that reputation is a determinant of the maturity of newly issued debt, where firms of high or low reputation issue short-term debt and firms of mediocre reputation issue long-term debt. Thus, reputation appears to mimic a nonmonotonic relationship between credit quality and maturity. The annualized coupon payments are shown to be a significant factor in determining the debt maturity and reveal a monotonously increasing relationship between credit quality and debt maturity once controlled for. Finally, I show that issuers lacking a credit rating have an implied credit quality positioned between Investment Grade (IG) and Speculative Grade (SG) debt.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
