IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ememar/v55y2023ics1566014123000158.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Leverage made at home: Investors' margin loan usage and firm leverage

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Chunbo
  • Niu, Zilong

Abstract

The “homemade leverage” conjecture by Modigliani and Miller (1958) implies that firm leverage and investors' leverage are substitutes. Using the data of margin loans by Chinese stock investors, we find that investors take significantly fewer margin loans on a stock when the company announces new bank loans. This effect is entirely driven by investors' margin loan repayment upon announcements, and is stronger for firms with higher institutional ownership or lower leverage. The findings suggest that investors undo the change in firm leverage by adjusting margin loans usage, supporting the “homemade leverage” conjecture.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Chunbo & Niu, Zilong, 2023. "Leverage made at home: Investors' margin loan usage and firm leverage," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ememar:v:55:y:2023:i:c:s1566014123000158
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ememar.2023.101010
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1566014123000158
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ememar.2023.101010?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Hsieh, David A & Miller, Merton H, 1990. "Margin Regulation and Stock Market Volatility," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(1), pages 3-29, March.
    2. James, Christopher, 1987. "Some evidence on the uniqueness of bank loans," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 217-235, December.
    3. Huang, Weihua & Schwienbacher, Armin & Zhao, Shan, 2012. "When bank loans are bad news: Evidence from market reactions to loan announcements under the risk of expropriation," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 233-252.
    4. Chang, Eric C. & Luo, Yan & Ren, Jinjuan, 2014. "Short-selling, margin-trading, and price efficiency: Evidence from the Chinese market," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 411-424.
    5. Bailey, Warren & Huang, Wei & Yang, Zhishu, 2011. "Bank Loans with Chinese Characteristics: Some Evidence on Inside Debt in a State-Controlled Banking System," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 46(6), pages 1795-1830, December.
    6. Gikas A. Hardouvelis & Stavros Peristiani, 1992. "Margin Requirements, Speculative Trading, and Stock Price Fluctuations: The Case of Japan," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(4), pages 1333-1370.
    7. Rui Li & Nan Li & Jiahui Li & Chongfeng Wu, 2018. "Short selling, margin buying and stock return in China market," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 58(2), pages 477-501, June.
    8. Lu, Liping & Tumer-Alkan, Gunseli & Zhang, Haiyang & Xu, Binbin & Wu, Weixing, 2021. "Do bank loans still convey information to investors? Evidence from the split share structure reform in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    9. Chun, Hyunbae & Kim, Jung-Wook & Morck, Randall & Yeung, Bernard, 2008. "Creative destruction and firm-specific performance heterogeneity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 89(1), pages 109-135, July.
    10. Jiangze Bian & Zhiguo He & Kelly Shue & Hao Zhou, 2018. "Leverage-Induced Fire Sales and Stock Market Crashes," NBER Working Papers 25040, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Michael W. Brandt & Alon Brav & John R. Graham & Alok Kumar, 2010. "The Idiosyncratic Volatility Puzzle: Time Trend or Speculative Episodes?," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(2), pages 863-899, February.
    12. repec:bla:jfinan:v:44:y:1989:i:1:p:19-40 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Bige Kahraman & Heather E. Tookes, 2017. "Trader Leverage and Liquidity," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 72(4), pages 1567-1610, August.
    14. Rawley Z Heimer & Alex Imas, 2022. "Biased by Choice: How Financial Constraints Can Reduce Financial Mistakes," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 35(4), pages 1643-1681.
    15. repec:cup:jfinqa:v:46:y:2011:i:06:p:1795-1830_00 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:4:p:1845-1876 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Braggion, Fabio & Frehen, Rik & Jerphanion, Emiel, 2020. "Credit Provision and Stock Trading: Evidence from the South Sea Bubble," CEPR Discussion Papers 14532, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Steven X. Wei & Chu Zhang, 2006. "Why Did Individual Stocks Become More Volatile?," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 79(1), pages 259-292, January.
    19. Choi, Nicole & Fedenia, Mark & Skiba, Hilla & Sokolyk, Tatyana, 2017. "Portfolio concentration and performance of institutional investors worldwide," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 189-208.
    20. Ekkehart Boehmer & Charles M. Jones & Xiaoyan Zhang, 2008. "Which Shorts Are Informed?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(2), pages 491-527, April.
    21. Marcin Kacperczyk & Clemens Sialm & Lu Zheng, 2005. "On the Industry Concentration of Actively Managed Equity Mutual Funds," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(4), pages 1983-2011, August.
    22. Ekkehart Boehmer & Charles M. Jones & Xiaoyan Zhang, 2013. "Shackling Short Sellers: The 2008 Shorting Ban," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 26(6), pages 1363-1400.
    23. Todd A. Gormley & David A. Matsa, 2011. "Growing Out of Trouble? Corporate Responses to Liability Risk," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 24(8), pages 2781-2821.
    24. Maskara, Pankaj K. & Mullineaux, Donald J., 2011. "Information asymmetry and self-selection bias in bank loan announcement studies," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(3), pages 684-694, September.
    25. Danis, András & Rettl, Daniel A. & Whited, Toni M., 2014. "Refinancing, profitability, and capital structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(3), pages 424-443.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Ye, Qing & Zhou, Shengjie & Zhang, Jie, 2020. "Short-selling, margin-trading, and stock liquidity: Evidence from the Chinese stock markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    2. Godlewski, Christophe J., 2014. "Bank loans and borrower value during the global financial crisis: Empirical evidence from France," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 100-130.
    3. He, Qing & Lu, Liping & Ongena, Steven, 2015. "Who gains from credit granted between firms? Evidence from inter-corporate loan announcements made in China," BOFIT Discussion Papers 1/2015, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    4. Li, Chunshuo & Ongena, Steven, 2015. "Bank loan announcements and borrower stock returns before and during the recent financial crisis," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 21(C), pages 1-12.
    5. Marshall, Andrew & McCann, Laura & McColgan, Patrick, 2019. "The market reaction to debt announcements: UK evidence surrounding the global financial crisis," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 92-109.
    6. Christophe J. GODLEWSKI, 2012. "Are bank loans still “special” (especially during a crisis)? Empirical evidence from a European country," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2012-03, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    7. repec:zbw:bofitp:2015_001 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. He, Qing & Lu, Liping & Ongena, Steven, 2015. "Who gains from credit granted between firms? Evidence from inter-corporate loan announcements made in China," BOFIT Discussion Papers 1/2015, Bank of Finland, Institute for Economies in Transition.
    9. Chen, Zhuo & Li, Pengfei & Wang, Zhengwei & Zhang, Bohui, 2024. "Leveraged trading and stock returns: Evidence from international stock markets," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    10. Wan, Xiaoyuan, 2020. "The impact of short-selling and margin-buying on liquidity: Evidence from the Chinese stock market," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 104-118.
    11. Wang, Shujing & Yan, Hongjun & Zhong, Ninghua & Tang, Yizhou, 2024. "Indirect effects of trading restrictions," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    12. Lu, Liping & Tumer-Alkan, Gunseli & Zhang, Haiyang & Xu, Binbin & Wu, Weixing, 2021. "Do bank loans still convey information to investors? Evidence from the split share structure reform in China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    13. Achsanta, Aldy Fariz & Lepetit, Laetitia & Tarazi, Amine, 2022. "Government ownership of banks: Implications for minority shareholders," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    14. Bai, Yiyi & Dang, Tri Vi & He, Qing & Lu, Liping, 2018. "Does lending relationship help or alleviate the transmission of liquidity shocks? Evidence from a liquidity crunch in China," BOFIT Discussion Papers 13/2018, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    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. Chang, Eric C. & Luo, Yan & Ren, Jinjuan, 2014. "Short-selling, margin-trading, and price efficiency: Evidence from the Chinese market," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 411-424.
    17. Tibor Neugebauer & Sascha Füllbrunn, 2013. "Deflating Bubbles in Experimental Asset Markets: Comparative Statics of Margin Regulations," LSF Research Working Paper Series 13-14, Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg.
    18. Shyu, Yih-Wen & Chan, Kam C. & Liang, Hsin-Yu, 2018. "Spillovers of price efficiency and informed trading from short sales to margin purchases in absence of uptick rule," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 163-183.
    19. Buhui Qiu & Gary Gang Tian & Haijian Zeng, 2022. "How Does Deleveraging Affect Funding Market Liquidity?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(6), pages 4568-4601, June.
    20. Pham, Thu Phuong & Singh, Harminder & Vu, Van Hoang, 2023. "The impact of bank loan announcements on stock liquidity," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 848-864.
    21. Haiyan Jiang & Ahsan Habib & Mostafa Monzur Hasan, 2022. "Short Selling: A Review of the Literature and Implications for Future Research," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(1), pages 1-31, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Homemade leverage; Margin trading; Loan announcement;
    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
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • G51 - Financial Economics - - Household Finance - - - Household Savings, Borrowing, Debt, and Wealth

    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:eee:ememar:v:55:y:2023:i:c:s1566014123000158. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620356 .

    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.