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Ratings Quality and Borrowing Choice

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  • DOMINIQUE C. BADOER
  • CEM DEMIROGLU
  • CHRISTOPHER M. JAMES

Abstract

Past studies document that incentive conflicts may lead issuer‐paid credit rating agencies to provide optimistically biased ratings. In this paper, we present evidence that investors question the quality of issuer‐paid ratings and raise corporate bond yields where the issuer‐paid rating is more positive than benchmark investor‐paid ratings. We also find that some firms with favorable issuer‐paid ratings substitute public bonds with borrowings from informed intermediaries to mitigate the “lemons discount” associated with poor quality ratings. Overall, our results suggest that the quality of issuer‐paid ratings has significant effects on borrowing costs and the choice of debt.

Suggested Citation

  • Dominique C. Badoer & Cem Demiroglu & Christopher M. James, 2019. "Ratings Quality and Borrowing Choice," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 74(5), pages 2619-2665, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jfinan:v:74:y:2019:i:5:p:2619-2665
    DOI: 10.1111/jofi.12820
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    Cited by:

    1. Dong, Yi & Hou, Qiannan & Ni, Chenkai, 2021. "Implicit government guarantees and credit ratings," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    2. Ya-Fang Wang & Yu-Chu Hsieh, 2023. "Credit Rating and Board Evaluation of Family Firms," International Journal of Business and Economic Sciences Applied Research (IJBESAR), Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH), Kavala Campus, Greece, vol. 16(1), pages 7-18, October.
    3. Barth, Andreas & Laturnus, Valerie & Mansouri, Sasan & Wagner, Alexander, 2021. "ICO analysts," VfS Annual Conference 2021 (Virtual Conference): Climate Economics 242429, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    4. Lyu, Huaili & Wang, Wenming & Xu, Si & Zhou, Jingting, 2022. "Individual investment bankers’ reputation concerns and bond yield spreads: Evidence from China," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    5. Yao, Yanzhen & Wei, Lu & Jing, Haozhe & Chen, Meiqi & Li, Zhan, 2024. "The impact of readability of risk disclosures in bond prospectuses on credit risk premium," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(PA).

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