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Seniority Structure and Financial Intermediation

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Author Info
Schuhmacher, Joachim
Abstract

The financial structure of firms is diverse. Firms issue many different types of financial claims. This article focuses on the seniority structure of debt contracts. It is outlined under what conditions firms can improve the outcome of their financial decisions by choosing seniority structure. The main reason for issuing debt contracts with different priority is that in case of financial distress firms only have to renegotiate with a smaller number of creditors. This outcome makes observation of the firm`s condition by creditors more likely. If observation occurs seniority decreases observation costs. But observation can also harm the owner so that seniority could be inferior to a debt structure which treats all creditors identically. Later on we introduce a financial intermediary into the model. It is outlined how a financial intermediary can be welfare improving on the junior level.

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File URL: ftp://web.bgse.uni-bonn.de/pub/RePEc/bon/bonsfa/bonsfa583.pdf
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Bonn, Germany in its series Discussion Paper Serie A with number 583.

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Date of creation: Oct 1998
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Handle: RePEc:bon:bonsfa:583

Contact details of provider:
Postal: Bonn Graduate School of Economics, University of Bonn, Adenauerallee 24 - 26, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Fax: +49 228 73 9221
Web page: http://www.bgse.uni-bonn.de/index.php?id=517

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Daniel Park).

Related research
Keywords: Seniority Structure Financial Intermediation Asymmetric Information.

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information
G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Mortgages
G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Capital and Ownership Structure
G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Diamond, Douglas W, 1984. "Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 51(3), pages 393-414, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Madan, Dilip & Soubra, Badih, 1991. "Design and Marketing of Financial Products," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 4(2), pages 361-84. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Boot, Arnoud W A & Thakor, Anjan V, 1993. " Security Design," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 48(4), pages 1349-78, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Barclay, Michael J & Smith, Clifford W, Jr, 1995. " The Priority Structure of Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(3), pages 899-917, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Welch, Ivo, 1997. "Why Is Bank Debt Senior? A Theory of Asymmetry and Claim Priority Based on Influence Costs," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 10(4), pages 1203-36.
  6. Diamond, Douglas W., 1993. "Seniority and maturity of debt contracts," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 341-368, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Hart, Oliver & Moore, John, 1995. "Debt and Seniority: An Analysis of the Role of Hard Claims in Constraining Management," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(3), pages 567-85, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Berkovitch, Elazar & Kim, E Han, 1990. " Financial Contracting and Leverage Induced Over- and Under-Investment Incentives," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(3), pages 765-94, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Gertner, Robert & Scharfstein, David, 1991. " A Theory of Workouts and the Effects of Reorganization Law," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(4), pages 1189-1222, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  10. Berglof, Erik & von Thadden, Ernst-Ludwig, 1994. "Short-Term versus Long-Term Interests: Capital Structure with Multiple Investors," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 109(4), pages 1055-84, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1985. "Credit Markets and the Control of Capital," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 17(2), pages 133-52, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Franklin Allen, Douglas Gale, 1988. "Optimal Security Design," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 1(3), pages 229-263. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  13. Weiss, Lawrence A., 1990. "Bankruptcy resolution: Direct costs and violation of priority of claims," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 285-314, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Takeo Hoshi & Anil Kashyap & David Scharfstein, 1989. "Bank monitoring and investment: evidence from the changing structure of Japanese corporate banking relations," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 86, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
  15. Harris, Milton & Raviv, Artur, 1990. " Capital Structure and the Informational Role of Debt," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 45(2), pages 321-49, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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