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Does the Firm Information Environment Influence Financing Decisions? A Test Using Disclosure Regulation

Author

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  • Susan Albring

    (Joseph I. Lubin School of Accounting, Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244)

  • Monica Banyi

    (McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904)

  • Dan Dhaliwal

    (Department of Accounting, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721; and Korea University Business School, Korea University, Seoul, Korea)

  • Raynolde Pereira

    (School of Accountancy, Trulaske College of Business, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211)

Abstract

Extant theory claims a firm’s information environment impacts the choice between debt and equity financing. However, empirical evidence supporting this contention is limited. We evaluate this relation within the context of Regulation Fair Disclosure (Reg FD), which prohibited the use of selective disclosure. We find that firms with high proprietary costs of public disclosure are more likely to resort to debt financing following the passage of Reg FD. This relation is not sensitive to whether a firm has relied on selective disclosure in the pre-Reg FD regime. We also evaluate changes in firm disclosure policy and find that firms that adopted an expansive public disclosure policy are more likely to turn to equity financing. Overall, our evidence is consistent with the pecking order theory: firms with deteriorated firm information environments increase their use of less information-sensitive debt, whereas firms with improved information environments favor the use of equity financing. This paper was accepted by Mary Barth, accounting .

Suggested Citation

  • Susan Albring & Monica Banyi & Dan Dhaliwal & Raynolde Pereira, 2016. "Does the Firm Information Environment Influence Financing Decisions? A Test Using Disclosure Regulation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 62(2), pages 456-478, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:62:y:2016:i:2:p:456-478
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2014.2123
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ole-Kristian Hope & Danqi Hu & Hai Lu, 2016. "The benefits of specific risk-factor disclosures," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 1005-1045, December.
    2. Albring, Susan & Huang, Shawn & Pereira, Raynolde & Xu, Xiaolu, 2020. "Disclosure and liquidity management: Evidence from regulation fair disclosure," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3).
    3. Caleb Rawson, 2022. "Manager perception and proprietary investment disclosure," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 1493-1525, December.
    4. Chen, Haosi & Maslar, David A. & Serfling, Matthew, 2020. "Asset redeployability and the choice between bank debt and public debt," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).

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