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How Important Is Financial Risk?

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  • Bartram, Söhnke M.
  • Brown, Gregory W.
  • Waller, William

Abstract

We explore the determinants of equity price risk of nonfinancial corporations. Operating and asset characteristics are by far the most important determinants of risk. For the median firm, financial risk accounts for only 15% of observed stock price volatility. Furthermore, financial risk has declined over the last 3 decades, indicating that any upward trend in equity volatility was driven entirely by economic risk factors. This explains why financial distress (as opposed to economic distress) was surprisingly uncommon in the nonfinancial sector during the 2007–2009 crisis even as measures of equity volatility reached unprecedented highs.

Suggested Citation

  • Bartram, Söhnke M. & Brown, Gregory W. & Waller, William, 2015. "How Important Is Financial Risk?," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 50(4), pages 801-824, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:50:y:2015:i:04:p:801-824_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Anthony Carroll & Fergal O'Brien & James Ryan, 2017. "An Examination of European Firms’ Derivatives Usage: The Importance of Model Selection," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 23(4), pages 648-690, September.
    2. Anh Tho To & Quoc Tuan Tran & Thi Siem Tran & Kim Phong Thai & Thi Thu Hong Ho, 2020. "The Monitoring Role Of Non-Executive Directors In Vietnam From A Return-Volatility Perspective," Economic Annals, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Belgrade, vol. 65(224), pages 29-52, January –.
    3. Manh Cuong Nguyen & Viet Anh Dang & Tri Tri Nguyen, 2023. "The transfer of risk taking along the supply chain," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 61(4), pages 1341-1378, November.
    4. Nicola Benatti & Francesco Napolitano, 2019. "An insight into the derivatives trading of firms in the euro area," IFC Bulletins chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Are post-crisis statistical initiatives completed?, volume 49, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. Paweł Węgrzyn, 2022. "Determinanty finansowania obligacjami banków w Polsce," Bank i Kredyt, Narodowy Bank Polski, vol. 53(4), pages 399-420.
    6. Skvarciany Viktorija & Germanaitė Laura, 2019. "Financial Risk Assessment: Case of „Lietuvos Geležinkeliai“, AB," Open Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 2(1), pages 19-29, January.
    7. Sanjeev Kumar & K. S. Ranjani, 2018. "Dividend Behaviour of Indian-listed Manufacturing and Service Sector Firms," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 20(1), pages 179-193, February.
    8. Judit Oláh & Sándor Kovács & Zuzana Virglerova & Zoltán Lakner & Maria Kovacova & József Popp, 2019. "Analysis and Comparison of Economic and Financial Risk Sources in SMEs of the Visegrad Group and Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-19, March.
    9. Haque, Sharjil & Varghese, Richard, 2023. "Firms’ rollover risk, capital structure and unequal exposure to aggregate shocks," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    10. Inekwe, John Nkwoma & Jin, Yi & Valenzuela, Ma. Rebecca, 2018. "The effects of financial distress: Evidence from US GDP growth," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 8-21.
    11. Yue, Tian & Ruan, Xinfeng & Gehricke, Sebastian & Zhang, Jin E., 2023. "The volatility index and volatility risk premium in China," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 40-55.
    12. Mihov, Atanas & Naranjo, Andy, 2017. "Customer-base concentration and the transmission of idiosyncratic volatility along the vertical chain," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 73-100.
    13. Mohamad Husam Helmi & Mohamed Shaker Ahmed, 2024. "Firm-specific attributes and capital gains overhang," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 14(4), pages 907-931, December.
    14. Beata Ślusarczyk & Katarzyna Grondys, 2019. "Parametric Conditions of High Financial Risk in the SME Sector," Risks, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-17, August.
    15. Choi, Jaewon & Richardson, Matthew, 2016. "The volatility of a firm's assets and the leverage effect," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 254-277.
    16. Bartram, Söhnke M., 2018. "In good times and in bad: Defined-benefit pensions and corporate financial policy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 331-351.

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