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Investment and financing decisions of private and public firms

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  • Wolfgang Drobetz
  • Malte Janzen
  • Iwan Meier

Abstract

We examine differences in the allocation of cash flow between Western European private and public firms. Public firms have a higher investment‐cash flow sensitivity than comparable private firms. This difference is not attributable to more severe financing constraints of public firms. Instead, because differences in investment‐cash flow sensitivities are only observed for the unexpected portion of firms’ cash flow, the empirical evidence supports an agency‐based explanation. Similar patterns are observable for the expected and unexpected portion of firms’ shareholder distributions. Our results are driven by firms from countries with low ownership concentration and more liquid stock markets, where shareholders have lower incentives to monitor. The results are also more pronounced for public firms with low industry Tobin's q and high free cash flow, which are more prone to suffer from agency problems.

Suggested Citation

  • Wolfgang Drobetz & Malte Janzen & Iwan Meier, 2019. "Investment and financing decisions of private and public firms," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1-2), pages 225-262, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:46:y:2019:i:1-2:p:225-262
    DOI: 10.1111/jbfa.12367
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    Cited by:

    1. Veronika Jezkova & Zuzana Rowland & Veronika Machova & Jan Hejda, 2020. "The Intrinsic Value of an Enterprise Determined by Means of the FCFE Tool," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-13, October.
    2. Jani Saastamoinen & Hanna Savolainen, 2021. "Does a leopard change its spots? Auditors and lawyers as valuation experts for minority shareholders in the judicial appraisal of private firms," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3-4), pages 613-636, March.
    3. Peter‐Jan Engelen & Michele Meoli & Andrea Signori & Silvio Vismara, 2020. "The effects of stricter regulation on the going public decision of small and knowledge‐intensive firms," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1-2), pages 188-217, January.
    4. Niclas Andrén & Håkan Jankensgård, 2020. "Disappearing investment‐cash flow sensitivities: Earnings have not become a worse proxy for cash flow," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(5-6), pages 760-785, May.
    5. Drobetz, Wolfgang & Ehlert, Sebastian & Schröder, Henning, 2021. "Institutional ownership and firm performance in the global shipping industry," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    6. Xiaoke Yang & Lidong Wu, 2023. "Specificity of the decision‐making mechanism in public corporations," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(3), pages 1574-1584, April.
    7. Joel Rabinovich & Niall Reddy, 2024. "Corporate Financialization: A Conceptual Clarification and Critical Review of the Literature," Working Papers PKWP2402, Post Keynesian Economics Society (PKES).
    8. Bashir Zahid & Rafique Zulqurnain Zeeshan & Toor Kashif Naseer, 2022. "How do dynamic financing decisions explain the behavior of dividend payout policies?: An Empirical Study of Listed Pakistani Manufacturing Firms," Financial Internet Quarterly (formerly e-Finanse), Sciendo, vol. 18(1), pages 1-15, March.
    9. Zhengwen Lu & Yujie Zhang & Yuanxu Li, 2022. "Strategic Charitable Giving and R&D Innovation of High-Tech Enterprises: A Dynamic Perspective Based on the Corporate Life Cycle," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-20, December.
    10. Liu, Yixin & Liu, Yu & Wei, Zuobao, 2022. "Property rights protection, financial constraint, and capital structure choices: Evidence from a Chinese natural experiment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    11. Wu, Xi & Wang, Yudong, 2021. "How does corporate investment react to oil prices changes? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    12. Driss, Hamdi & Drobetz, Wolfgang & El Ghoul, Sadok & Guedhami, Omrane, 2021. "Institutional investment horizons, corporate governance, and credit ratings: International evidence," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).

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