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The effect of liquidity and solvency risk on the inclusion of bond covenants

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  • Cook, Douglas O.
  • Fu, Xudong
  • Tang, Tian

Abstract

Studies have analyzed the impact of firm and issue characteristics but not liquidity and solvency components of financial distress on the use of bond covenants. Using a comprehensive database of corporate bonds from 2001 to 2012, we find that firm liquidity, measured by standardized Lambda, has a negative statistical and economic impact on the inclusion of all categories and sub-categories of restrictive bond covenants. Developed from financial statement information by Emery and Lyons (1991), Lambda is designed as a coverage ratio that, under certain distribution assumptions, maps into the probability of a firm being unable to pay its short-term bills. The strongest solvency proxy is the 10-year credit default swap (CDS) spread which is significant across the categories and sub-categories for investment and payment covenants, weakly significant for the subordinated debt sub-category of the subsequent financing covenant, but strongly significant for the control poison put sub-category of event covenants. This evidence supports a model that uses SLambda as a proxy for liquidity risk and the 10-year CDS spread as a proxy for solvency risk. The liquidity/covenant relationship is dampened when firms have access to commercial paper funding or bank loans. However, during the recent financial crisis liquidity event this liquidity/covenant relationship was enhanced especially for firms which were dependent on commercial paper during this time when the commercial paper market was deteriorating.

Suggested Citation

  • Cook, Douglas O. & Fu, Xudong & Tang, Tian, 2014. "The effect of liquidity and solvency risk on the inclusion of bond covenants," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 120-136.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:48:y:2014:i:c:p:120-136
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbankfin.2014.07.004
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Bond covenants; Liquidity risk; Solvency risk; Financial distress;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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