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Effects of earnings management on bank cost of debt

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  • Chung-Hua Shen
  • Yu-Li Huang

Abstract

type="main" xml:lang="en"> This study investigates how earnings management influences credit ratings, and thus the cost of debt, using bank data from 85 countries. Using cross-country data also facilitates the investigation of how information asymmetry affects the influence of earnings management on ratings. The results indicate that raters downgrade ratings when they perceive earnings management, after controlling for other potential determinants of bank credit ratings, implying that earnings management increases borrowing costs. The negative effect of earnings management is mitigated for banks in countries with more extensive and effective banking regulations owing to lower information asymmetry, but aggravated in counties with less robust banking regulations.

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  • Chung-Hua Shen & Yu-Li Huang, 2013. "Effects of earnings management on bank cost of debt," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(1), pages 265-300, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:acctfi:v:53:y:2013:i:1:p:265-300
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-629X.2011.00455.x
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    9. Vo, Nguyen Ngoc Thao & Nguyen, Thai Vu Hong & Phan, Duc Hong Thi, 2022. "Earnings management and bank risk-taking behavior in Asia-Pacific region," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    10. Wu, Meng-Wen & Shen, Chung-Hua & Lu, Chin-Hwa, 2015. "Do more foreign strategic investors and more directors improve the earnings smoothing? The case of China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 3-16.
    11. Yu-Li Huang & Chung-Hua Shen, 2015. "The Sovereign Effect on Bank Credit Ratings," Journal of Financial Services Research, Springer;Western Finance Association, vol. 47(3), pages 341-379, June.
    12. Wu, Meng-Wen & Shen, Chung Hua, 2019. "Effects of shadow banking on bank risks from the view of capital adequacy," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 176-197.
    13. Mai, Nhat Chi, 2020. "Related Party Transactions, State Ownership, the Cost of Corporate Debt, and Corporate Tax Avoidance: Evidence from Vietnam," OSF Preprints y5qj3, Center for Open Science.
    14. Millicent Chang & Andrew B. Jackson & Marvin Wee, 2018. "A review of research on regulation changes in the Asia‐Pacific region," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(3), pages 635-667, September.
    15. Ting Liu & Shaoqing Kang & Lihong Wang, 2024. "The externality of politically connected directors’ resignations on peers’ cost of debt," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 62(3), pages 1191-1221, April.

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