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Financial conservatism of private firms

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  • Bigelli, Marco
  • Martín-Ugedo, Juan Francisco
  • Sánchez-Vidal, F. Javier

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the factors that motivate private firms to follow a conservative financial policy. Using a new definition of financial conservatism, we investigate a sample of 21,959 Italian private firms for the 1998–2006 period and look for the determinants of financial conservatism according to the main theories of capital structure and financing policy. Our findings show that financially conservative firms are smaller, with more intangible and less tangible assets, lower effective tax rates and follow a pecking order style financial policy. As has been found for their public counterparts, financially conservative private firms seem to pile up cash and their leverage potential before undertaking future investments.

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  • Bigelli, Marco & Martín-Ugedo, Juan Francisco & Sánchez-Vidal, F. Javier, 2014. "Financial conservatism of private firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 67(11), pages 2419-2427.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:67:y:2014:i:11:p:2419-2427
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.02.009
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    Cited by:

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    2. Machokoto, Michael & Chipeta, Chimwemwe & Aftab, Nadeem & Areneke, Geofry, 2021. "The financial conservatism of firms in emerging economies," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    3. Zubair, Siraz & Kabir, Rezaul & Huang, Xiaohong, 2020. "Does the financial crisis change the effect of financing on investment? Evidence from private SMEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 456-463.
    4. Comeig, Irene & Fernández-Blanco, Matilde O. & Ramírez, Federico, 2015. "Information acquisition in SME's relationship lending and the cost of loans," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(7), pages 1650-1652.
    5. Saona, Paolo & Vallelado, Eleuterio & San Martín, Pablo, 2020. "Debt, or not debt, that is the question: A Shakespearean question to a corporate decision," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 378-392.
    6. Shehub Bin Hasan & Md Samsul Alam & Sudharshan Reddy Paramati & Md Shahidul Islam, 2022. "Does firm-level political risk affect cash holdings?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 311-337, July.
    7. Milad Chegini Nezhad & Roya Darabi & Fatemeh Sarraf, 2016. "Relation between Conditional and Unconditional Conservatism with Investment Opportunities," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(5), pages 1-74, May.
    8. Edoardo Ferrucci & Roberto Guida & Valentina Meliciani, 2021. "Financial constraints and the growth and survival of innovative start‐ups: An analysis of Italian firms," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 27(2), pages 364-386, March.
    9. Michael Machokoto & Geofry Areneke & Davis Nyangara, 2021. "Financial conservatism, firm value and international business risk: Evidence from emerging economies around the global financial crisis," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(3), pages 4590-4608, July.
    10. 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.
    11. Katrien Jansen & Anneleen Michiels & Wim Voordeckers & Tensie Steijvers, 2023. "Financing decisions in private family firms: a family firm pecking order," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 495-515, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Private firms; Financial conservatism; Net Financial Position; Leverage; Capital structure;
    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

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