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The Determinants of Corporate Leverage: A Panel Data Analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Geoffrey Shuetrim

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

  • Philip Lowe

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

  • Steve Morling

    (Reserve Bank of Australia)

Abstract

Widespread increases in corporate leverage occurred over the 1980s in Australia. There was also considerable variation in leverage across firms. This paper uses a sample of 209 firms, observed annually between 1973 and 1991, to explore both cross-sectional and time variation in financial structure. The paper begins with a survey of the literature on corporate financial structure. This leads to a model that incorporates the major determinants of leverage. The empirical model takes into account the influence of both firm-specific and time-specific effects. The dynamics of leverage are also tentatively explored. The results suggest that a number of firm-related factors influence the relative costs of debt, the level of demand for and the availability of funds. Most important among these are firm size, growth, collateral and cash flow. A number of macro-economic variables are also found to influence leverage. Most important among these are real asset prices which play a significant role in the post-financial deregulation period.

Suggested Citation

  • Geoffrey Shuetrim & Philip Lowe & Steve Morling, 1993. "The Determinants of Corporate Leverage: A Panel Data Analysis," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp9313, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    • Handle: RePEc:rba:rbardp:rdp9313
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Vijaya B. Marisetty & M. Ariff, 2008. "Factors Correlated with Equity Market Risk Premiums in Developed and Emerging Markets," CARF F-Series CARF-F-129, Center for Advanced Research in Finance, Faculty of Economics, The University of Tokyo.
    2. Enrico Santarelli & Hien Thu Tran, 2018. "The interaction of institutional quality and human capital in shaping the dynamics of capital structure in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2018-66, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    3. J T Kneeshaw, 1995. "A survey of non-financial sector balance sheets in industialised countries: implications for the monetary policy transmission mechanism," BIS Working Papers 25, Bank for International Settlements.
    4. Bülent Köksal & Cüneyt Orman, 2015. "Determinants of capital structure: evidence from a major developing economy," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 255-282, February.
    5. Karen Mills & Steven Morling & Warren Tease, 1995. "The Influence of Financial Factors on Corporate Investment," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 28(2), pages 50-64, April.
    6. Andreas Stephan & Oleksandr Talavera, "undated". "Effects of macroeconomic uncertainty on leverage for US non-financial firms," German Stata Users' Group Meetings 2004 8, Stata Users Group.
    7. Christopher F. Baum & Andreas Stephan & Oleksandr Talavera, 2009. "The Effects Of Uncertainty On The Leverage Of Nonfinancial Firms," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 47(2), pages 216-225, April.
    8. Helga Kristjánsdóttir, 2005. "The Knowledge-Capital Model and Small Countries," EPRU Working Paper Series 05-09, Economic Policy Research Unit (EPRU), University of Copenhagen. Department of Economics.
    9. Sanjay Tupe, 2020. "A Study of Capital Structure of Indian Power Generation and Supply Firms: Unbalanced Panel Data," Asian Development Policy Review, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 8(2), pages 128-140, June.
    10. Gianni La Cava, 2005. "Financial Constraints, the User Cost of Capital and Corporate Investment in Australia," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2005-12, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    11. Christopher F. Baum & Andreas Stephan & Oleksandr Talavera, 2004. "Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Firm Leverage," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 443, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    12. Malcolm Edey & John Romalis, 1996. "Issues in Modelling Monetary Policy," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp9604, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    13. Dimiter Rafailov, 2003. "Determinants of the capital structure of the Bulgarian firms," Economic Thought journal, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences - Economic Research Institute, issue 1, pages 47-65.
    14. Enrico Santarelli & Hien Thu Tran, 2018. "The interaction of institutional quality and human capital in shaping the dynamics of capital structure in Vietnam," WIDER Working Paper Series 66, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    15. Muhammad Arif Khan & Xuezhi Qin & Khalil Jebran, 2020. "Uncertainty and leverage nexus: does trade credit matter?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(3), pages 355-389, September.
    16. Karen Mills & Steven Morling & Warren Tease, 1994. "The Influence of Financial Factors on Corporate Investment," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp9402, Reserve Bank of Australia.
    17. Gianni La Cava & Callan Windsor, 2016. "Why Do Companies Hold Cash?," RBA Research Discussion Papers rdp2016-03, Reserve Bank of Australia.

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