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The Dynamics of Corporate Dividend Reductions

Author

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  • Gerald R. Jensen
  • James M. Johnson

Abstract

The claim that divided payments serve as signals to market participants is widely accepted. However, recent evidence has increased the uncertainty regarding the information conveyed when a firm drops its dividend. In particular, DeAngelo, DeAngelo, and Skinner (1992) and Healy and Palepu (1988) find that a dividend reduction tends to be followed by a significant increase in firm earnings. Our analysis extends prior research by examining twenty-one firm characteristics three years before and three years after a dividend drop. Consistent with past results, we find that firm earnings drop prior to a dividend reduction and increase afterwards. However, following a dividend drop, firms tend to reduce asset expenditures, external financing activities, employees, and spending on R&D. In addition, firms tend to sell more assets and their sales level remains depressed in the post-dividend-drop period. These post-dividend-drop occurrences may negatively impact a firm's future competitive position and, furthermore, may explain the negative stock price reaction that accompanies the dividend-drop announcement. Overall, our results suggest that a dividend-drop marks the end of a firm's financial decline and the beginning of firm restructuring.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerald R. Jensen & James M. Johnson, 1995. "The Dynamics of Corporate Dividend Reductions," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 24(4), Winter.
    • Handle: RePEc:fma:fmanag:jensen95
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nickolaos Travlos & Lenos Trigeorgis & Nikos Vafeas, 2001. "Shareholder Wealth Effects of Dividend Policy Changes in an Emerging Stock Market: The Case of Cyprus," Multinational Finance Journal, Multinational Finance Journal, vol. 5(2), pages 87-112, June.
    2. Fukuda, Atsuo, 2000. "Dividend changes and earnings performance in Japan," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 53-66, March.
    3. Xin Che & Kathleen P. Fuller, 2020. "What does the timing of dividend reductions signal?," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 55(3), pages 1035-1061, October.
    4. Chou, De-Wai & Liu, Yi & Zantout, Zaher, 2009. "Long-term stock performance following extraordinary and special cash dividends," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 54-73, February.
    5. Chin-Sheng Huang & Chun-Fan You & Hsiao-Fen Hsiao, 2017. "Dividends and Subsequent Profitability: An Examination of a Dual Dividend Stock Market," Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies (RPBFMP), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(01), pages 1-35, March.
    6. Nicholas Guest & S. P. Kothari & Parth Venkat, 2023. "Share repurchases on trial: Large‐sample evidence on share price performance, executive compensation, and corporate investment," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 52(1), pages 19-40, March.
    7. Balasingham Balachandran, 2003. "UK interim and final dividend reductions: a note on price reaction," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(4), pages 379-390.
    8. Sadaf Anwar & Shveta Singh & P. K. Jain, 2017. "Impact of Cash Dividend Announcements: Evidence from the Indian Manufacturing Companies," Journal of Emerging Market Finance, Institute for Financial Management and Research, vol. 16(1), pages 29-60, April.
    9. Jensen, Gerald R. & Lundstrum, Leonard L. & Miller, Robert E., 2010. "What do dividend reductions signal?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 736-747, December.
    10. Low, Soo-Wah & Glorfeld, Louis & Hearth, Douglas & Rimbey, James N., 2001. "The link between bank monitoring and corporate dividend policy: The case of dividend omissions," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(11), pages 2069-2087, November.
    11. Szomko Natalia, 2015. "Investor Reaction to Information on Final Dividend Payouts on the Warsaw Stock Exchange – an Event Study Analysis," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 45(1), pages 127-146, March.
    12. M. Ameziane Lasfer, 1997. "On the Motivation for Paying Scrip Dividends," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 26(1), Spring.
    13. Olubukunola, Uwuigbe & Olowe, Olusegun, 2013. "The Effects of Company Income Tax on Dividend Policy of Firms in Nigeria," Acta Universitatis Danubius. OEconomica, Danubius University of Galati, issue 9(1), pages 79-90, February.
    14. Mbodja Mougoué & Ramesh P. Rao, 2003. "The Information Signaling Hypothesis of Dividends: Evidence from Cointegration and Causality Tests," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3‐4), pages 441-478, April.
    15. Maria Cristina Abad Navarro, 2003. "Utilidad de una Medida de la Eficiencia en la Generación de Ventas para la Predicción del Resultado," Working Papers 0307, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Sep 2003.

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