We analyse the differences in the financial debt level of firms both in market-oriented systems (the US, the UK) and bank-oriented systems (Germany, France and Italy) on a sample of 3360 listed companies between the period 2006 and 2010. Results indicate that the debt level is significantly higher in market-oriented systems when compared to the book value of equity. We find confirmation that Book-to-Market (BTM) cannot explain the debt level in bank-oriented systems but, contrary to reference literature, we observe that the BTM ratio has a negative influence on the debt level in market-oriented systems, especially in the United States. We claim different reasons to explain the evidence: 1) the financing standards of market-oriented countries, with an inflationary effect of market values on debt; 2) an underlying activity for ownership protection and 3) the unfavourable conditions of stock market over the years of the financial crisis that reduced the convenience of equity issuance.
Market value and corporate debt: the 2006–2010 international evidence
DELL'ACQUA, ALBERTO;ETRO, LEONARDO;TETI, EMANUELE;
2012
Abstract
We analyse the differences in the financial debt level of firms both in market-oriented systems (the US, the UK) and bank-oriented systems (Germany, France and Italy) on a sample of 3360 listed companies between the period 2006 and 2010. Results indicate that the debt level is significantly higher in market-oriented systems when compared to the book value of equity. We find confirmation that Book-to-Market (BTM) cannot explain the debt level in bank-oriented systems but, contrary to reference literature, we observe that the BTM ratio has a negative influence on the debt level in market-oriented systems, especially in the United States. We claim different reasons to explain the evidence: 1) the financing standards of market-oriented countries, with an inflationary effect of market values on debt; 2) an underlying activity for ownership protection and 3) the unfavourable conditions of stock market over the years of the financial crisis that reduced the convenience of equity issuance.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.