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Economic policy uncertainty and enterprise value: Evidence from Chinese listed enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Zhu, Yanli
  • Sun, Yingnan
  • Xiang, Xinyu

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how economic policy uncertainty (EPU) influences enterprise value based on China’s EPU index and financial data on A-share listed enterprises from 2004 to 2018. Our empirical results show that uncertainty in economic policy has a significant restraining effect on enterprise value in general and that the degree of the impact is closely related to enterprise characteristics, including financial leverage, scale, R&D intensity, the degree of marketization, ownership, and location. More precisely, an increase in financial leverage and scale can mitigate the restraining effect of EPU on enterprise value, while an increase in R&D intensity and marketization degree will exacerbate the restraining effect. In addition, non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs) and firms located in first-tier cities are more vulnerable to rising EPU. The evidence indicates that policymakers should pay attention to stability in macroeconomic policy and micro-enterprises should be concerned about the impact of uncertainty in economic policy, plan ahead, and take precautions.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhu, Yanli & Sun, Yingnan & Xiang, Xinyu, 2020. "Economic policy uncertainty and enterprise value: Evidence from Chinese listed enterprises," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 44(4).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecosys:v:44:y:2020:i:4:s0939362520301497
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecosys.2020.100831
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chinese listed enterprises; Economic policy uncertainty; Enterprise value;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
    • E60 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - General
    • G18 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Government Policy and Regulation
    • 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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