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Leverage and firm performance: new evidence on the role of economic sentiment using accounting information

Author

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  • Petros Kalantonis
  • Christos Kallandranis
  • Marios Sotiropoulos

Abstract

Purpose - The goal of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the role of expectations in shaping agents' behaviour within an extended time frame which incorporates a prolonged harsh downturn of economic activity. Therefore, the authors allow for an indirect impact of economy-wide expectations operating via their coexistence with firms' balance sheet factors. Second, it is tested whether the behaviour of listed firms as regards to debt follows the pecking order theory. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use the panel data methodology in the estimation of the financial structure models since unobservable heterogeneity is an important determinant towards the target leverage. A fixed effects estimation procedure, with robust intercepts allowed to vary across firms, was employed to examine the relationship between leverage and performance. Findings - The findings offer evidence of patterns of pecking order behaviour and thus for the necessity of internal financing over external debt. The authors also extended the set of determinants by investigating the effect of macroeconomic conditions on the debt decision of firms. Contrary to the authors’ expectations, short-run beliefs of economic agents appear to play a negative role in leverage. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the literature in a number of ways. First, following the growing literature of loan dynamics, the findings provide useful insights into corporate capital structure decisions in an economy in which businesses were almost excluded from external financing for over a decade. Second, in order to better understand corporate financing decisions, it is necessary to consider the overall economic framework in which companies and especially the listed ones operate.

Suggested Citation

  • Petros Kalantonis & Christos Kallandranis & Marios Sotiropoulos, 2021. "Leverage and firm performance: new evidence on the role of economic sentiment using accounting information," Journal of Capital Markets Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(1), pages 96-107, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:eme:jcmspp:jcms-10-2020-0042
    DOI: 10.1108/JCMS-10-2020-0042
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jagjeevan Kanoujiya & Pooja Jain & Souvik Banerjee & Rameesha Kalra & Shailesh Rastogi & Venkata Mrudula Bhimavarapu, 2023. "Impact of Leverage on Valuation of Non-Financial Firms in India under Profitability’s Moderating Effect: Evidence in Scenarios Applying Quantile Regression," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-20, August.
    2. Thng Peck-Ern Casandra & Wei-Theng Lau, 2023. "Corporate Leverage Decisions in Malaysian Property Sector: Before and During Pandemic," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(12), pages 1719-1733, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Leverage; Sentiment; Size; Pecking order theory; Panel data; C23; D82; E32; G30;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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