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Corporate hedging and the cost of debt

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  • Chen, Jun
  • King, Tao-Hsien Dolly

Abstract

For a large sample of U.S. firms from 1994 to 2009, we empirically examine the impact of corporate hedging on the cost of public debt. We find strong evidence that hedging is associated with a lower cost of debt. The negative effect of hedging on the cost of debt is consistent across industries, and remains economically and statistically significant under various controls and econometric specifications. A cross-sectional analysis based on propensity score matching suggests that hedging initiation firms experience a drop in cost of debt, while suspension firms sustain a jump. We confirm our findings after employing an extensive array of models to address potential endogeneity. The influence of hedging on cost of debt is mainly through the lowering of bankruptcy risk and agency cost, and the reduction in information asymmetry. Finally, hedging mitigates the negative effect of rising borrowing costs on capital expenditure and firm value.

Suggested Citation

  • Chen, Jun & King, Tao-Hsien Dolly, 2014. "Corporate hedging and the cost of debt," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 221-245.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:corfin:v:29:y:2014:i:c:p:221-245
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2014.09.006
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Hedging; Cost of debt; Financial risk; Agency costs; Information Asymmetry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • 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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