Debt Maturity Research Articles

ESG disagreement and corporate debt maturity: evidence from China

This study explores the relationship between corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disagreements and corporate debt maturity. By examining panel samples from Chinese non-financial listed companies covering 2007 to 2020, we find that ESG disagreements negatively influence corporate debt maturity. Even after conducting a series of robustness tests and addressing endogeneity concerns, the adverse effects of ESG disagreements persisted. A heterogeneity analysis shows that this negative impact is more significant for non-state-owned enterprises, small enterprises, enterprises with high capital intensity, enterprises with low analyst attention, and enterprises in high-tech industries. Through a mechanism analysis, we discovered that ESG disagreements can lead to information asymmetry and heightened default risk, subsequently affecting the maturity of corporate debt. Further analysis confirms that the negative impact of ESG on the debt structure inhibits long-term investment and exacerbates the mismatch between investment and financing terms.

Moral hazard and debt maturity

We present a model of the maturity of a bank’s uninsured debt. The bank borrows to invest in a long-term asset with endogenous and nonverifiable risk. This moral hazard problem leads to excessive risk-taking. Short-term debt may have a disciplining effect on risk-taking, but it may lead to overborrowing and/or inefficient liquidation. We characterize the conditions under which short- and long-term debt are feasible, and show circumstances where only short-term debt is feasible and where short-term debt dominates long-term debt when both are feasible. The results are consistent with some features of the period preceding the 2007-2009 global financial crisis.

The Financial Report Quality, Debt Maturity, and Foreign Ownership on Investment Efficiency Relationship

This research aims to investigate the effect of financial report quality, debt maturity, and foreign ownership on investment efficiency. This research uses a quantitative method with the population of basic materials sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The data analysis technique used in this research is multiple linear regression analysis. The results of this study indicate that simultaneously, the quality of financial statements, debt maturity, and foreign ownership do not affect investment efficiency. Partially, debt maturity affects investment efficiency. The quality of financial statements and foreign ownership does not affect investment efficiency. This study provides the main implication, namely the importance of improving the quality of corporate financial management so that investors know essential factors to evaluate investment potential. The financial statement quality ensures accurate information as a basis for making the right investment decisions. Debt to maturity affects liquidity risk and financial stability, and foreign ownership brings better governance practices and access to capital and technology, all of which contribute to improving investment efficiency.

Going long, going short, issue or liquidate? Corporate debt maturity of Mexican public firms

PurposeThis paper studies the determinants of the debt maturity of Mexican-listed companies by analysing the effects on the extensive (issuing or liquidating debt) and the intensive (debt maturity renegotiation) margins.Design/methodology/approachThis study, using a Tobit model for panel data and measuring maturity as a time variable, shows that size, liquidity and leverage, among other firm characteristics, as well as the market interest rate, explain debt maturity. Additionally, the study employs the McDonald and Moffitt decomposition to determine whether the explanatory variables of maturity have a more significant effect on the decision to issue or liquidate debt or on debt maturity renegotiations.FindingsThe results obtained highlight that the market interest rate negatively affects debt maturity. On the other hand, variables like size, liquidity, collateral and leverage demonstrate a positive relationship with the dependent variable. In addition, the extensive margin has a higher impact on corporate debt than the intensive margin, suggesting that firms prefer to liquidate or issue new debt rather than renegotiate preexisting contracts.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study is the use of an unbalanced panel. The lack of data limits the application of specific methodologies suggested by the literature as a way to test the robustness of the estimates.Originality/valueFirst of all, this study adds empirical evidence of debt maturity decisions by publicly traded firms in a middle-income country such as Mexico to the existing literature on maturity choice. Second, the study treats debt maturity as a time-censored, limited variable. Finally, the authors have used the McDonald and Moffitt (1980) methodology to decompose the effect of each independent variable into extensive and intensive margins.

The impact of firm size on the relationship between leverage and firm performance: evidence from Saudi Arabia

Capital structure and its relationship with firm performance is one of the most debatable topics in corporate finance among both scholars and policy-makers. Using a panel threshold regression model, this study investigates the impact of firm size on the nonlinear relationship between the leverage and performance of Saudi listed firms from 2010 to 2019. The results reveal that firm size is critical in determining the nonlinear relationship between leverage and firm performance. A single threshold level divides the sample into two regimes of small and large firms. Leverage negatively affects performance in both regimes with different debt maturities. However, the negative impact is more pronounced among small firms, especially when long-term debt is employed. This study adds to the evolving literature because the unique setting of the Saudi market is characterized by its illiquid and underdeveloped bond market. Additionally, Saudi firms are not subject to income tax; instead, they are subject to zakat, which is levied at 2.5%. These characteristics impact the relationship between leverage and Saudi firm performance at different firm sizes. This study is important for financial managers, regulators, researchers, and investors to understand how leverage with different maturities affects performance and the role of firm size in this relationship.

Corporate Debt Maturity Matters for Monetary Policy

Corporate Debt Maturity Matters for Monetary Policy

Effects of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on corporate debt structure

PurposeThis paper investigates the differential and interactive effects of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on the corporate debt structure of credit-constrained and credit-unconstrained firms in India.Design/methodology/approachThe panel fixed-effect model was used to examine the effect of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on corporate debt structure using annual data of 2,405 firms from 1997 to 2020.FindingsAn increase in sectoral and aggregate uncertainty leads to a greater increase in total and short-term debt and a decrease in long-term debt for credit-constrained firms than in unconstrained ones. However, sectoral uncertainty affects firms’ debt maturity structure more than aggregate uncertainty. Credit-constrained firms use short-term debt to finance capital expenditure during periods of high sectoral uncertainty and working capital requirements during periods of high aggregate uncertainty. When both sectoral and aggregate uncertainty are high, credit-constrained firms decrease total and short-term debt usage more than credit-unconstrained firms do. Our results are robust to a variety of tests, such as different measures of uncertainty, the use of instrument variables and controlling for economic conditions and financial crises.Originality/valueThis study addresses the differential and interactive effects of sectoral and aggregate uncertainty on corporate debt structure.

Financial challenges in Portuguese hospitals: debt influences

PurposeThis study aims to understand how specific variables of companies, corporate governance and macroeconomic factors influence the indebtedness of Portuguese hospitals, a key sector in the economy.Design/methodology/approachTo test the hypotheses, data from 256 Portuguese hospitals were used, in the period between 2015 and 2021. The models were estimated using the panel data methodology, specifically using the estimation method generalized method of moments (GMM) system, from Arellano and Bover (1995) and Blundell and Bond (1998).FindingsUsing three measures of indebtedness to assess whether the determinants vary according to debt maturity, the results show differences in the sign and significance of the variables determining total indebtedness across short, medium and long-term debt.Originality/valueThis article appears to be original and significant as it provides detailed awareness of debt levels and their management, particularly in the context of ongoing debates about Portugal’s national health system.

Institutional investor networks centrality and firms’ debt maturity mismatch

Institutional investors with a more central position in the network occupy a significant number of structural holes, thereby gaining a relative advantage in network influence, prominence, and prestige. This paper focuses on China, a typical relational society, to investigate the effect of institutional investor networks centrality on firms’ maturity mismatch. Drawing upon data from A-share Chinese listed firms between 2007 and 2020, we find that the higher centrality within institutional investor networks is associated with lower firms’ debt maturity mismatch. This effect is further enhanced by frequent site visits. In addition, heterogeneity analyses reveal that the documented relationship is more pronounced in non-SOEs and firms with higher levels of financing constraints. The results hold after the robustness tests and endogeneity tests.

Capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure: evidence from the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock connect

PurposeThis paper takes the Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect as a quasi-natural experiment and investigates the impact of capital market liberalization on the corporate debt maturity structure. It also aims to provide some policy implications for corporate debt financing and further liberalization of the capital market in China.Design/methodology/approachEmploying the exogenous event of Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect and using the data of Chinese A-share firms from 2010 to 2020, this study constructs a difference-in-differences model to examine the relationship between capital market liberalization and corporate debt maturity structure. To validate the results, this study performed several robustness tests, including the parallel test, the placebo test, the Heckman two-stage regression and the propensity score matching.FindingsThis paper finds that capital market liberalization has significantly increased the proportion of long-term debt of target firms. Further analyses suggest that the impact of capital market liberalization on the debt maturity structure is more pronounced for firms with lower management ownership and non-Big 4 audit. Channel tests show that capital market liberalization improves firms’ information environment and curbs self-interested management behavior.Originality/valueThis research provides empirical evidence for the consequences of capital market liberalization and enriches the literature on the determinants of corporate debt maturity structure. Further this study makes a reference for regulators and financial institutions to improve corporate financing through the governance role of capital market liberalization.

Carbon assurance, corporate capital structure, and debt maturity: Global evidence

This study used a cross-country sample of firms from 47 nations that participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire over the years 2011 and 2020, to examine whether the verification of carbon emissions information by an independent third party affects corporate capital structure and debt maturity decisions. Using alternative methods and robustness checks, we explore that carbon assurance importantly shapes both corporate capital structure and debt maturity. In particular, firms that are involved in independent carbon assurance have significantly higher leverage in their capital structure compared to non-assured firms. Further, assured firms have better access to long-term debt compared to non-assured firms. The outcomes of this study are attributed to the notion that the verification of carbon information increases the creditability of a firm's voluntary reporting and reduces its informational asymmetry between corporations and lenders.

Debt maturity and the marginal value of cash holdings

This study investigates the impact of debt maturity on the marginal value of cash holdings. It posits that short-term debt acts as a crucial governance mechanism by reducing agency conflicts and aligning managerial actions with shareholder interests. Using a sample of U.S. public firms, the results indicate that firms with higher proportions of short-term debt have a greater marginal value of cash, reflecting more efficient resource allocation and reduced managerial opportunism. The necessity for frequent capital market interactions associated with short-term debt mitigates agency conflicts. Additionally, the study explores three potential mechanisms: financial constraints, managerial moral hazard, and information asymmetry.

Debt maturity and climate change exposure: does life cycle moderate?

PurposeIn this study, I explore how climate exposure influences debt maturity and whether the life cycle moderates this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs robust panel fixed-effects regression models on 32,249 firm-year observations over 2002–2022. The meticulous examination of the relationship between climate exposure and debt maturity and the use of IV regression models to address endogeneity ensure the validity and reliability of the findings. Exploiting an external shock to validate the results further enhances the robustness of the analysis.FindingsThe study reveals that climate change exposure significantly negatively affects debt maturity, a finding that holds for both climate-related opportunities and regulatory risks. While the life cycle impacts debt maturity, it exacerbates the negative effect for firms in the introductory and growth phases. This exacerbation is due to underinvestment problems and a lack of financial flexibility. These findings shed new light on the relationship between climate exposure and debt maturity, providing valuable insights for corporate finance professionals and strategic managers.Practical implicationsThe evidence presented in this study has strategic implications for corporate managers, investors, academia and other stakeholders. The insights on the choice or substitution of debt maturity during certain life cycle phases can provide valuable guidance to management, empowering them to make informed decisions.Originality/valueThe dynamic role of the corporate life cycle in the relationship between capital structure and climate exposure is a novel area of research. This paper significantly contributes to our understanding of the combined relationship of firm life cycle and climate exposure on debt maturity, offering a fresh perspective on an underexplored topic. This study’s unique approach and original findings will pique the interest of academic researchers and corporate finance professionals alike.

Sponsor Reputation and Capital Structure Dynamics in Leveraged Buyouts

We examine whether leveraged buyout (LBO) sponsors’ reputations as borrowers affect the refinancing terms of their portfolio companies. In 510 U.S. LBOs for which we can reconstruct debt financing activity, 67% of financing events occur one quarter before the earliest existing debt maturity. These On Time events generally improve borrowing terms, whereas Early events feature more dividends, leverage, and higher cost. In each case, dividend issuance decreases and cost increases with the proportion of the sponsors’ recent exits that are failures. Effects are absent for matched firms and prior to the LBO and are procyclical; sponsors with recent failures miss opportunities to decrease financing costs in good times. This paper was accepted by Bo Becker, finance. Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.00971 .

Bank loan maturity and corporate investment

This study analyzes bank loan maturity and corporate investment linkage by using novel firm-level data covering the universe of all incorporated firms in Türkiye over the last decade. The results of the panel regression model with multi-dimensional fixed effects reveal that loan maturity has a significant positive association with investment, indicating that longer debt maturity fosters corporate investment. The results reveal that the positive linkage between longer debt maturity and investment is more pronounced for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is also the case for young firms and firms with high growth opportunities. Considering the evidence provided in the literature that bank lending conditions, including maturity structure, are highly cyclical and vulnerable to financial conditions and economic policy uncertainties, our findings highlight the importance of reducing the policy uncertainties as well as the importance of policies that make equity financing more attractive and deepen the capital markets.

Subprime Crisis Shockwaves: Impacts On Capital Structure In Non-Financial Corporations

Based upon a dataset spanning about 2,780 non-financial firms in France over the period 2007- 2019, we explore the impact of the subprime crisis on their leverage ratio and capital structure, comparing the experience of the largest listed and unlisted non-financial corporates. Our results highlight that both listed and unlisted corporates tend to reduce their overall indebtedness ratios during the subprime crisis period and its aftermath, generalizing a significant corporate deleveraging for listed and unlisted firms especially during the post-crisis period. In addition, our findings show that listed corporates become more dependable on short- and medium-term credits than the long-term which may increase the exposure of these corporates to credit and liquidity shocks. While our outcomes reveal a clear preference to long-term debt for unlisted firms by expanding their debt maturities, relying on long-term credits and reducing their dependence on short- and medium-term debt which burden these corporates with short-term charges and payments that cannot afford during the crisis and post-crisis periods.

Trends in corporate financial strategies: Analyzing investment efficiency among listed Indonesian companies

The main objective of this study is to investigate the impact of conservatism, debt maturity, and debt covenants on investment efficiency in Indonesian firms, with a focus on the food and staples retail and food and beverage sub-sectors. This study aims to address information asymmetry between agents and principals, using agency theory as the theoretical framework. A quantitative approach is used using secondary data sourced from financial reports available on the IDX website and company websites. This study took a sample of 329 companies using non-probability sampling technique. Data processing using linear regression method. The results show that conservatism significantly improves investment efficiency, while debt maturity and debt covenants do not show a significant effect. This study underscores the importance of conservative financial reporting practices in improving investment efficiency in the Indonesian corporate sector.

Does exploratory trademark strategy affect the cost of debt financing? Evidence from China

In this study, we investigate how exploratory trademark strategy affects the cost of debt financing. Using data from Chinese listed firms between 2005 and 2021, we find that firms adopting exploratory trademark strategies experience a lower cost of debt, highlighting the positive strategic value of trademarks. This effect is especially significant for firms facing higher competitive pressure, greater information asymmetry, and less easy access to external finance. In addition, supplementary analyses reveal that exploratory trademark strategy enhances attention and alleviates financing constraints. These results suggest that information risk and default risk are influential in determining the relationship between exploratory trademark strategy and debt pricing. Moreover, we identify a significant link between this strategy and debt maturity, indicating that firms adopting exploratory trademark strategies tend to have greater long-term debt capacity and less reliance on short-term debt. Our findings underscore the crucial role of trademark management in corporate financing, particularly in reducing firms debt financing costs.

Does firm culture influence corporate financing decisions? Evidence from debt maturity choice

This study establishes a relation between corporate culture and debt maturity choice. Specifically, superior corporate culture is associated with the choice of shorter-term debt, supporting the notion that superior culture reduces managerial agency problems resulting in managers being more receptive to external monitoring through the choice of shorter-term debt. The culture subcomponents of integrity, teamwork, and innovation are found to have a meaningful influence on the debt maturity structure choice. The relation between culture and debt maturity is more pronounced in firms with higher managerial stock ownership and those that are financially constrained, but is weakened in firms with a greater CEO sensitivity to stock prices. Additionally, firms with superior culture are shown to have higher long-term credit ratings. These findings contribute at the confluence of corporate culture and debt financing literatures. A battery of robustness tests, including addressing endogeneity concerns, validate the findings.

Effect of ESG performance on stock price crash risk: evidence from China

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of ESG performance on stock price crash risk using a dataset of Chinese-listed firms in the period 2015 – 2020. Empirical evidence reveals a negative association between ESG performance and stock price crash risk, particularly under high product market competition conditions. Mechanism analysis suggests that ESG performance reduces stock price crash risk by alleviating maturity mismatch and optimizing debt maturity in investment and financing, but only when market competition is intense. These findings align with the resource dependence theory, indicating that strong ESG performance enhances a firm’s ability to acquire resources and mitigate stock price crash risk in highly competitive environments. Consequently, ESG performance not only augments a firm’s competitive advantage but also serves as a risk reduction tool, enabling investors to construct more sustainable investment portfolios.