IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eco/journ1/2019-02-22.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Financial Leverage on the Cost of Equity

Author

Listed:
  • David Yechiam Aharon

    (Department of Business Administration, Ono Academic College, Kiriat Ono, Israel,)

  • Yossi Yagil

    (Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.)

Abstract

Using a sample of industrial companies traded on the NYSE, this study examines the effect of financial leverage (L) on the cost of equity (KE). The goal is to test the theoretical relationship between KE and L under various types of market imperfections such as taxes and bankruptcy costs, and compare theoretical models incorporating each market imperfection with actual values. All of the empirical results in each model tested point to a positive relationship between KE and L regardless of the measures used for the key variables. Specifically, we establish four main findings: (1) The relationship between KE and L is positive, (2) R-squared is substantially higher in the risky debt models than in the risk free debt models, (3) The market measures of L tend to generate a higher R-squared than the book measures of L, and (4) The model that is the most accurate representation of the relationship between the KE and L incorporates a measure of risky debt. Thus, the findings suggest that risky debt should be employed in the estimation of KE, otherwise KE and the resulting weighted average cost of capital may be biased, leading to incorrect capital budgeting decisions

Suggested Citation

  • David Yechiam Aharon & Yossi Yagil, 2019. "The Impact of Financial Leverage on the Cost of Equity," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 9(2), pages 175-188.
    • Handle: RePEc:eco:journ1:2019-02-22
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/download/7554/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.econjournals.com/index.php/ijefi/article/view/7554/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fama, Eugene F & French, Kenneth R, 1992. "The Cross-Section of Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 47(2), pages 427-465, June.
    2. MacKie-Mason, Jeffrey K, 1990. "Do Taxes Affect Corporate Financing Decisions?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(5), pages 1471-1493, December.
    3. Mark T. Leary & Michael R. Roberts, 2014. "Do Peer Firms Affect Corporate Financial Policy?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(1), pages 139-178, February.
    4. Chen, Ren-Raw & Chidambaran, N.K. & Imerman, Michael B. & Sopranzetti, Ben J., 2014. "Liquidity, leverage, and Lehman: A structural analysis of financial institutions in crisis," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 117-139.
    5. Dan Dhaliwal & Shane Heitzman & Oliver Zhen Li, 2006. "Taxes, Leverage, and the Cost of Equity Capital," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(4), pages 691-723, September.
    6. Altman, Edward I, 1984. "A Further Empirical Investigation of the Bankruptcy Cost Question," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 39(4), pages 1067-1089, September.
    7. Arturo Bris & Ivo Welch & Ning Zhu, 2006. "The Costs of Bankruptcy: Chapter 7 Liquidation versus Chapter 11 Reorganization," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(3), pages 1253-1303, June.
    8. Fred D. Arditti, 1967. "Risk And The Required Return On Equity," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 22(1), pages 19-36, March.
    9. George, Thomas J. & Hwang, Chuan-Yang, 2010. "A resolution of the distress risk and leverage puzzles in the cross section of stock returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(1), pages 56-79, April.
    10. repec:bla:jfinan:v:53:y:1998:i:5:p:1443-1493 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Iulian Obreja, 2013. "Book-to-Market Equity, Financial Leverage, and the Cross-Section of Stock Returns," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(5), pages 1146-1189.
    12. Graham, John R., 1999. "Do personal taxes affect corporate financing decisions?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 147-185, August.
    13. Arena, Matteo P. & Roper, Andrew H., 2010. "The effect of taxes on multinational debt location," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 637-654, December.
    14. Agha, Mahmoud & Faff, Robert, 2014. "An investigation of the asymmetric link between credit re-ratings and corporate financial decisions: “Flicking the switch” with financial flexibility," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 37-57.
    15. Warner, Jerold B., 1977. "Bankruptcy, absolute priority, and the pricing of risky debt claims," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 239-276, May.
    16. David J. Denis & Stephen B. McKeon, 2012. "Debt Financing and Financial Flexibility Evidence from Proactive Leverage Increases," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(6), pages 1897-1929.
    17. Jaewon Choi, 2013. "What Drives the Value Premium?: The Role of Asset Risk and Leverage," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(11), pages 2845-2875.
    18. Miller, Merton H, 1977. "Debt and Taxes," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(2), pages 261-275, May.
    19. Thomas J. George & Chuan‐Yang Hwang, 2007. "Long‐Term Return Reversals: Overreaction or Taxes?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(6), pages 2865-2896, December.
    20. Ali Hortaçsu & Gregor Matvos & Chad Syverson & Sriram Venkataraman, 2013. "Indirect Costs of Financial Distress in Durable Goods Industries: The Case of Auto Manufacturers," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(5), pages 1248-1290.
    21. Xavier Giroud & Holger M. Mueller & Alex Stomper & Arne Westerkamp, 2012. "Snow and Leverage," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 25(3), pages 680-710.
    22. Lang, Mark H. & Shackelford, Douglas A., 2000. "Capitalization of capital gains taxes: evidence from stock price reactions to the 1997 rate reduction," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(1), pages 69-85, April.
    23. Omer Brav, 2009. "Access to Capital, Capital Structure, and the Funding of the Firm," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 64(1), pages 263-308, February.
    24. Arthur Korteweg, 2010. "The Net Benefits to Leverage," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(6), pages 2137-2170, December.
    25. Weiss, Lawrence A., 1990. "Bankruptcy resolution: Direct costs and violation of priority of claims," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 285-314, October.
    26. repec:bla:jfinan:v:43:y:1988:i:2:p:507-28 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Dhaliwal, Dan & Krull, Linda & Li, Oliver Zhen, 2007. "Did the 2003 Tax Act reduce the cost of equity capital?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 121-150, March.
    28. Weinstein, Mark, 1981. "The Systematic Risk of Corporate Bonds," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 16(3), pages 257-278, September.
    29. Stephen H. Penman & Scott A. Richardson & İrem Tuna, 2007. "The Book‐to‐Price Effect in Stock Returns: Accounting for Leverage," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(2), pages 427-467, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. David Yechiam Aharon & Yossi Yagil, 2019. "The Impact of Financial Leverage on Shareholders’ Systematic Risk," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-23, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. David Yechiam Aharon & Yossi Yagil, 2019. "The Impact of Financial Leverage on Shareholders’ Systematic Risk," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-23, November.
    2. Hanlon, Michelle & Heitzman, Shane, 2010. "A review of tax research," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 127-178, December.
    3. Adam Zaremba & Jacob Koby Shemer, 2018. "Price-Based Investment Strategies," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-319-91530-2, April.
    4. Glover, Brent, 2016. "The expected cost of default," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 284-299.
    5. Lorraine D’Mello & Sheeja Sivaprasad, 2015. "An Investment Strategy Based on Leverage: Evidence from BSE 500," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 14(3), pages 210-238, December.
    6. Muradoğlu, Yaz Gülnur & Sivaprasad, Sheeja, 2012. "Capital structure and abnormal returns," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 328-341.
    7. Zhou, Qing & Tan, Kelvin Jui Keng & Faff, Robert & Zhu, Yushu, 2016. "Deviation from target capital structure, cost of equity and speed of adjustment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 99-120.
    8. Eero Pätäri & Timo Leivo, 2017. "A Closer Look At Value Premium: Literature Review And Synthesis," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(1), pages 79-168, February.
    9. Correia, Ricardo & Población, Javier, 2015. "A structural model with Explicit Distress," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 112-130.
    10. Monda, Barbara & Giorgino, Marco & Modolin, Ileana, 2013. "Rationales for Corporate Risk Management - A Critical Literature Review," MPRA Paper 45420, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Feld, Lars P. & Heckemeyer, Jost H. & Overesch, Michael, 2013. "Capital structure choice and company taxation: A meta-study," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 2850-2866.
    12. Hong-Yi Chen & Cheng Few Lee & Tzu Tai, 2020. "The Joint Determinants of Capital Structure and Stock Rate of Return: A LISREL Model Approach," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Cheng Few Lee & John C Lee (ed.), HANDBOOK OF FINANCIAL ECONOMETRICS, MATHEMATICS, STATISTICS, AND MACHINE LEARNING, chapter 35, pages 1345-1397, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    13. Panayotis Artikis & Georgia Nifora, 2011. "Leverage and Returns in Three Countries of Southern European Region," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 3-26.
    14. David Yechiam Aharon & Yossi Yagil, 2019. "The Impact of Financial Leverage on the Variance of Stock Returns," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-18, March.
    15. Mohammed M Elgammal & David G McMillan, 2014. "Value premium and default risk," Journal of Asset Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 15(1), pages 48-61, February.
    16. Acharya, Viral V. & Bharath, Sreedhar T. & Srinivasan, Anand, 2007. "Does industry-wide distress affect defaulted firms? Evidence from creditor recoveries," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(3), pages 787-821, September.
    17. Stephen H. Penman & Francesco Reggiani & Scott A. Richardson & İrem Tuna, 2018. "A framework for identifying accounting characteristics for asset pricing models, with an evaluation of book‐to‐price," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 24(4), pages 488-520, September.
    18. Chongyang Chen & Zhonglan Dai & Douglas Shackelford & Harold Zhang, 2011. "Does Financial Constraint Affect Shareholder Taxes and the Cost of Equity Capital?," NBER Working Papers 17169, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Deniz Anginer & Çelim Yıldızhan, 2018. "Is There a Distress Risk Anomaly? Pricing of Systematic Default Risk in the Cross-section of Equity Returns [The risk-adjusted cost of financial distress]," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 22(2), pages 633-660.
    20. JULES H. Van BINSBERGEN & JOHN R. GRAHAM & JIE YANG, 2010. "The Cost of Debt," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 65(6), pages 2089-2136, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    cost of equity; financial leverage; market imperfections; risky debt;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eco:journ1:2019-02-22. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Ilhan Ozturk (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.econjournals.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.