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Internal capital markets, corporate investment, and the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Korean business groups

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  • Lee, Sangwon

Abstract

This paper examines whether the investment of Korean business group (“chaebol”) affiliated firms behaved differently from that of non-chaebol firms in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. I show that chaebol firms cut back investment to a lesser degree than similar non-chaebol firms. Chaebol firms with higher-than-industry-median market-to-book ratios invested more and experienced less decline in their stock prices, while I do not find such relationships for non-chaebol firms. This paper provides evidence that chaebol internal capital markets helped mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic on firm investment and value.

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  • Lee, Sangwon, 2022. "Internal capital markets, corporate investment, and the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Korean business groups," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finana:v:80:y:2022:i:c:s1057521922000291
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irfa.2022.102053
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    Cited by:

    1. Banerjee, Pradip & Dhole, Sandip & Mishra, Sagarika, 2023. "Operating performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: Is there a business group advantage?," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    2. Bukalska Elżbieta & Skibińska-Fabrowska Ilona, 2023. "Corporate Investment in Bank-Dependent Companies in Crisis Time," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 10(57), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Hsiao, Ching-Yuan & Shiu, Yung-Ming, 2023. "Risk-sharing function in internal capital markets: Evidence from intragroup reinsurance activities," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    4. Jaja Suteja & Ardi Gunardi & Erik Syawal Alghifari & Audrey Amelya Susiadi & Alfina Sri Yulianti & Anggi Lestari, 2023. "Investment Decision and Firm Value: Moderating Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility and Profitability of Non-Financial Sector Companies on the Indonesia Stock Exchange," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-13, January.
    5. Lee, Sangwon, 2022. "The value of official business group affiliation: Evidence from a change in Korean chaebol designation policy," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Chaebol; Investment; Internal capital markets; COVID-19;
    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
    • G39 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Other

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