IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finana/v96y2024ipbs1057521924006380.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Financial flexibility, firm performance, and financial distress: A comparative study of China and the U.S. during pandemics

Author

Listed:
  • Wu, Wei
  • Zhang, Shiyu
  • Fan, Yali
  • Shi, Yulu

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between financial flexibility, financial distress, and firm performance during pandemics, using data from 26,621 North American-listed firms and 5,212 China-listed firms from 2000 to 2022. We investigate whether financial flexibility influences firm performance and financial distress, with firm performance acting as a moderator in this relationship. Our findings highlight that financial flexibility is a crucial strategic tool for mitigating economic uncertainties, effectively reducing financial distress in the U.S. In contrast, its impact in China is more complex, influenced by market maturity and regulatory interventions, especially during economic turbulence. The study also reveals differing roles of profitability and firm size between the two markets. In the U.S., larger and more profitable firms prioritize growth over financial stability, whereas in China, there is a greater emphasis on liquidity and market perception. During the SARS pandemic, China's rapid regulatory response and strong government intervention made financial flexibility more effective in reducing financial distress. Conversely, during COVID-19, the U.S. market showed robust mechanisms and corporate adaptability, with financial flexibility helping firms manage liquidity crises and market volatility. In China, stricter regulations during COVID-19 limited the role of financial flexibility, but strong government support-maintained market stability. Overall, this study underscores the different impacts of financial flexibility on Chinese and U.S. markets during pandemics and the critical role of firm performance in moderating the relationship between financial flexibility and financial distress under varying economic conditions and policy environments.

Suggested Citation

  • Wu, Wei & Zhang, Shiyu & Fan, Yali & Shi, Yulu, 2024. "Financial flexibility, firm performance, and financial distress: A comparative study of China and the U.S. during pandemics," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:96:y:2024:i:pb:s1057521924006380
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103706
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057521924006380
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.irfa.2024.103706?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. Stewart C. Myers & Nicholas S. Majluf, 1984. "Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions When Firms Have InformationThat Investors Do Not Have," NBER Working Papers 1396, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Myers, Stewart C. & Majluf, Nicholas S., 1984. "Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 187-221, June.
    3. Heitor Almeida & Murillo Campello & Igor Cunha & Michael S. Weisbach, 2014. "Corporate Liquidity Management: A Conceptual Framework and Survey," Annual Review of Financial Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 6(1), pages 135-162, December.
    4. Ugur, Mehmet & Solomon, Edna & Zeynalov, Ayaz, 2022. "Leverage, competition and financial distress hazard: Implications for capital structure in the presence of agency costs," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Barclay, Michael J. & Marx, Leslie M. & Smith, Clifford Jr., 2003. "The joint determination of leverage and maturity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 9(2), pages 149-167, March.
    6. Bao-Guang Chang & Kun-Shan Wu, 2021. "The nonlinear relationship between financial flexibility and enterprise risk-taking during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(2), pages 307-333, June.
    7. Julio Pindado & Luis Rodrigues & Chabela Torre, 2006. "How does Financial Distress Affect Small Firms’ Financial Structure?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 377-391, May.
    8. Chun-Ai Ma & Yanbo Jin, 2016. "What Drives the Relationship Between Financial Flexibility and Firm Performance: Investment Scale or Investment Efficiency? Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(9), pages 2043-2055, September.
    9. Zhang, Dayong & Hu, Min & Ji, Qiang, 2020. "Financial markets under the global pandemic of COVID-19," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    10. Chen, Ruiyuan & El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane & Wang, He, 2017. "Do state and foreign ownership affect investment efficiency? Evidence from privatizations," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 408-421.
    11. Edward I. Altman, 1968. "Financial Ratios, Discriminant Analysis And The Prediction Of Corporate Bankruptcy," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 23(4), pages 589-609, September.
    12. Andrea Gamba & Alexander Triantis, 2008. "The Value of Financial Flexibility," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 63(5), pages 2263-2296, October.
    13. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1995. "What Do We Know about Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1421-1460, December.
    14. García, C. José & Herrero, Begoña, 2021. "Female directors, capital structure, and financial distress," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 592-601.
    15. Xiaoyi Li & Yung-Ming Shiu, 2021. "Reinsurance, debt capacity and financial flexibility," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 46(4), pages 664-687, October.
    16. Hyun-Sun Ryu & Jae-Nam Lee, 2016. "Innovation patterns and their effects on firm performance," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3-4), pages 81-101, February.
    17. Maria‐Teresa Marchica & Roberto Mura, 2010. "Financial Flexibility, Investment Ability, and Firm Value: Evidence from Firms with Spare Debt Capacity," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 39(4), pages 1339-1365, December.
    18. Eleonora Kontuš & Kristina Šorić & Nataša Šarlija, 2023. "Capital structure optimization: a model of optimal capital structure from the aspect of capital cost and corporate value," Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(2), pages 2147565-214, July.
    19. Hu, Shiwei & Zhang, Yuyao, 2021. "COVID-19 pandemic and firm performance: Cross-country evidence," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 365-372.
    20. Özgür Arslan-Ayaydin & Chris Florackis & Aydin Ozkan, 2014. "Financial flexibility, corporate investment and performance: evidence from financial crises," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 211-250, February.
    21. Michael Faulkender & Rong Wang, 2006. "Corporate Financial Policy and the Value of Cash," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 61(4), pages 1957-1990, August.
    22. Rapp, Marc Steffen & Schmid, Thomas & Urban, Daniel, 2014. "The value of financial flexibility and corporate financial policy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 288-302.
    23. Opler, Tim C & Titman, Sheridan, 1994. "Financial Distress and Corporate Performance," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 49(3), pages 1015-1040, July.
    24. Andrea Bonfatti & Greta Pesaresi & Guglielmo Weber & Nancy Zambon, 2023. "The economic impact of the first wave of the pandemic on 50+ Europeans," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(2), pages 607-659, August.
    25. Jiang, Jie & Hou, Jack & Wang, Cangyu & Liu, HaiYue, 2021. "COVID-19 impact on firm investment—Evidence from Chinese publicly listed firms," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    26. Pindado, Julio & Rodrigues, Luis & de la Torre, Chabela, 2008. "Estimating financial distress likelihood," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 61(9), pages 995-1003, September.
    27. Xiaodong Teng & Bao-Guang Chang & Kun-Shan Wu, 2021. "The Role of Financial Flexibility on Enterprise Sustainable Development during the COVID-19 Crisis—A Consideration of Tangible Assets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    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. Bao-Guang Chang & Kun-Shan Wu, 2021. "The nonlinear relationship between financial flexibility and enterprise risk-taking during the COVID-19 pandemic in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry," Oeconomia Copernicana, Institute of Economic Research, vol. 12(2), pages 307-333, June.
    2. Md. Rashidul Islam, 2024. "How to Achieve Financial Flexibility: the Role of Corporate Governance," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(2), pages 6541-6577, June.
    3. Hu, Jiamin & Li, Kailun & Xia, Yifei & Zhang, Jianing, 2023. "Gender diversity and financial flexibility: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    4. Haifeng Zhang & Zhuo Zhang & Ekaterina Steklova, 2020. "Do Companies Need Financial Flexibility for Sustainable Development?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-14, February.
    5. Islam, Md. Rashidul & Hossain, Monirul Alam & Uddin, Mohammad Shamsu & Bahta, Dawit Teclemariam, 2020. "Does Financial Flexibility foster Investment Efficiency? Evidence from an Emerging Market," Asian Business Review, Asian Business Consortium, vol. 10(2), pages 121-136.
    6. Hunjra, Ahmed Imran & Bagh, Tanveer & Palma, Alessia & Goodell, John W., 2024. "Is enterprise risk-taking less sensitive to financial flexibility post COVID-19? Evidence from non-linear patterns," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 95(PB).
    7. Morais, Flávio & Serrasqueiro, Zélia & Ramalho, Joaquim J.S., 2022. "Capital structure speed of adjustment heterogeneity across zero leverage and leveraged European firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    8. Hang (Robin) Luo & Abu Reza Mohammad Islam & Rui Wang, 2021. "Financing Constraints and Investment Efficiency in Canadian Real Estate and Construction Firms: A Stochastic Frontier Analysis," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, July.
    9. Xiaodong Teng & Bao-Guang Chang & Kun-Shan Wu, 2021. "The Role of Financial Flexibility on Enterprise Sustainable Development during the COVID-19 Crisis—A Consideration of Tangible Assets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    10. Pindado, Julio & Requejo, Ignacio & Rivera, Juan C., 2017. "Economic forecast and corporate leverage choices: The role of the institutional environment," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 121-144.
    11. Arnold, Marc, 2014. "Managerial cash use, default, and corporate financial policies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 305-325.
    12. Clemente-Almendros, José A. & Sogorb-Mira, Francisco, 2018. "Costs of debt, tax benefits and a new measure of non-debt tax shields: examining debt conservatism in Spanish listed firms," Revista de Contabilidad - Spanish Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 162-175.
    13. Tut, Daniel, 2021. "Financial Crisis, Corporate Governance and the Value of Cash Holdings," MPRA Paper 108593, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Ahrends, Meike & Drobetz, Wolfgang & Nomikos, Nikos K., 2018. "Corporate cash holdings in the shipping industry," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 107-124.
    15. Ivan E. Brick & Rose C. Liao, 2017. "The joint determinants of cash holdings and debt maturity: the case for financial constraints," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 597-641, April.
    16. Thi Tuyet Dao, Nhung & Guney, Yilmaz & Hudson, Robert, 2023. "Managerial overconfidence and corporate cash holdings: Evidence from primary and secondary data," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    17. Shoaib Ali & Attiya Yasmin Javid, 2015. "Relationship between Credit Rating, Capital Structure and Earning Management Behaviour: Evidence from Pakistani Listed Firms," PIDE-Working Papers 2015:121, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    18. Bigelli, Marco & Sánchez-Vidal, Javier, 2012. "Cash holdings in private firms," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 26-35.
    19. Cai, Jie & Zhang, Zhe, 2011. "Leverage change, debt overhang, and stock prices," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 391-402, June.
    20. Naiwei Chen & E-N Hsiao, 2014. "Insider ownership and financial flexibility," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(29), pages 3609-3629, October.

    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:finana:v:96:y:2024:i:pb:s1057521924006380. 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/620166 .

    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.