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The Effect of Financial Development on the Investment-Cash Flow Relationship: Cross-Country Evidence from Europe

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  • Becker Bo

    (Harvard Business School)

  • Sivadasan Jagadeesh

    (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor)

Abstract

We investigate if financial development eases firm level financing constraints in a cross-country data set covering much of the European economy. The cash flow sensitivity of investment is lower in countries with better-developed financial markets. To deal with potentially serious biases, we employ a difference-in-difference methodology. Subsidiaries of other firms have access to internal capital markets and hence depend less on the external financial environment. As predicted, the benefit of financial development is smaller in subsidiary firms. This shows that financial development can mitigate financial constraints, and sheds light on the link between financial and economic development.

Suggested Citation

  • Becker Bo & Sivadasan Jagadeesh, 2010. "The Effect of Financial Development on the Investment-Cash Flow Relationship: Cross-Country Evidence from Europe," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-49, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:10:y:2010:i:1:n:43
    DOI: 10.2202/1935-1682.2302
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    2. Annalisa Ferrando & Maria†Teresa Marchica & Roberto Mura, 2017. "Financial Flexibility and Investment Ability Across the Euro Area and the UK," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 23(1), pages 87-126, January.
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    6. Luiz Ricardo Kabbach‐de‐Castro & Henrique Castro Martins & Eduardo Schiehll & Paulo Renato Soares Terra, 2023. "Investment–cash flow sensitivity and investor protection," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(7-8), pages 1402-1438, July.
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    8. Mercatanti, Andrea & Mäkinen, Taneli & Silvestrini, Andrea, 2019. "The role of financial factors for European corporate investment," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 246-258.
    9. Giorgio Calcagnini & Annalisa Ferrando & Germana Giombini, 2015. "Multiple market imperfections, firm profitability and investment," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 95-120, August.
    10. Daniela Federici & Valentino Parisi & Caroline Elliott, 2015. "Do corporate taxes reduce investments? Evidence from Italian firm-level panel data," Cogent Economics & Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 3(1), pages 1012435-101, December.
    11. Sai Ding & John Knight & Xiao Zhang, 2019. "Does China overinvest? Evidence from a panel of Chinese firms," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(6), pages 489-507, April.
    12. Moncef Guizani, 2021. "Macroeconomic conditions and investment–cash flow sensitivity: Evidence from Saudi Arabia," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4277-4294, July.
    13. Milos Markovic & Michael A. Stemmer, 2017. "Firm Growth Dynamics and Financial Constraints: Evidence from Serbian Firms," Post-Print halshs-01489222, HAL.
    14. Ferrando, Annalisa & Marchica, Maria-Teresa & Mura, Roberto, 2014. "Financial flexibility across the euro area and the UK," Working Paper Series 1630, European Central Bank.
    15. Carsten Sprenger & Olga Lazareva, 2017. "Corporate Governance and Investment: Evidence from Russian Unlisted Firms," HSE Working papers WP BRP 160/EC/2017, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    16. Minjia Chen & Alessandra Guariglia, 2011. "Financial constraints and firm productivity in China: do liquidity and export behavior make a difference?," Discussion Papers 11/09, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    17. Zhang, Dongyang & Liu, Deqiang, 2017. "Determinants of the capital structure of Chinese non-listed enterprises: Is TFP efficient?," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 179-202.
    18. Lashitew, Addisu A., 2017. "The Uneven Effect of Financial Constraints: Size, Public Ownership, and Firm Investment in Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 178-198.
    19. Mehmet Balcilar & Serhan Çiftçioğlu & Hasan Güngör, 2016. "The Effects Of Financial Development On Investment In Turkey," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 61(04), pages 1-21, September.
    20. Caroline Perrin & Laurent Weill, 2024. "Girls will be girls? The gendered effect of economic policy uncertainty on corporate investment," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(9), pages 997-1011, February.
    21. Lashitew, Addisu A., 2011. "Does Access to Finance Lower Firms’ Cost of Capital? Empirical Evidence from International Manufacturing Data," GGDC Research Memorandum GD-120, Groningen Growth and Development Centre, University of Groningen.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    corporate investment; financial constraints;

    JEL classification:

    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General

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