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The effect of unfunded pension liabilities on corporate bond ratings, default risk, and recovery rate

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  • F. Wang
  • Ting Zhang

Abstract

Unfunded pension liabilities lower ratings of non-senior secured bonds but do not affect ratings of senior secured bonds due to their higher seniority. Pension funding improvement (deterioration) is associated with bond rating upgrade (downgrade). Moreover, large unfunded liabilities increase bond default risk and reduce the recovery rate of bondholders after controlling for credit ratings, suggesting that bond ratings do not fully capture pension underfunding risk. Overall, our results highlight the important effects of unfunded pension obligations on bond ratings, default risk, and creditors’ payoff, and suggest that investors should look beyond bond ratings in making investment decisions. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • F. Wang & Ting Zhang, 2014. "The effect of unfunded pension liabilities on corporate bond ratings, default risk, and recovery rate," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 781-802, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:43:y:2014:i:4:p:781-802
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-013-0392-6
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    Cited by:

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    2. Almaghrabi, Khadija S., 2023. "Non‐operating risk and cash holdings: Evidence from pension risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    3. Khadija S. Almaghrabi & Kwaku Opong & Ioannis Tsalavoutas, 2021. "Compliance with pension‐related mandatory disclosures and debt financing," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1-2), pages 148-184, January.
    4. Masaki KUSANO & Yoshihiro SAKUMA, 2019. "Recognition versus Disclosure and Audit Fees and Costs:Evidence from Pension Accounting in Japan," Discussion papers e-19-007, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.
    5. Kun Yu, 2016. "Excess of the PBO over the ABO and hard pension freezes," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 819-846, May.
    6. Cheng-Few Lee & Chengru Hu & Maggie Foley, 2021. "Differential risk effect of inside debt, CEO compensation diversification, and firm investment," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 505-543, February.
    7. Zhao, Zucheng & Sutcliffe, Charles, 2024. "Why are pension schemes frozen, and how does a freeze affect the Employer's risk?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    8. Hsieh, Su-Jane & Liu, Shuming, 2021. "The cost-of-equity implications of off-balance sheet pension liabilities," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 17(1).
    9. Kusano, Masaki, 2023. "Does recognition versus disclosure of pension liabilities affect credit ratings? Evidence from Japan," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    10. Masaki KUSANO, 2022. "Recognition versus Disclosure and Managerial Discretion: Evidence from Japanese Pension Accounting," Discussion papers e-22-008, Graduate School of Economics , Kyoto University.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Defined benefit pension plans; Unfunded pension liabilities; Bond seniority; Bond ratings; Default risk; Recovery rate; G32; H20; J33;
    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
    • H20 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - General
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods

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