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The Firm Size and Leverage Relationship and Its Implications for Entry and Concentration in a Low Interest Rate World

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  • Satyajit Chatterjee
  • Burcu Eyigungor

Abstract

Larger firms (by sales or employment) have higher leverage. This pattern is explained using a model in which firms produce multiple varieties and borrow with the option to default against their future cash ow. A variety can die with a constant probability, implying that bigger firms (those with more varieties) have lower coefficient of variation of sales and higher leverage. A lower risk-free rate benefits bigger firms more as they are able to lever more and existing firms buy more of the new varieties arriving into the economy. This leads to lower startup rates and greater concentration of sales.

Suggested Citation

  • Satyajit Chatterjee & Burcu Eyigungor, 2019. "The Firm Size and Leverage Relationship and Its Implications for Entry and Concentration in a Low Interest Rate World," Working Papers 19-18, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
    • Handle: RePEc:fip:fedpwp:19-18
    DOI: 10.21799/frbp.wp.2019.18
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    3. Gerasimos T. Soldatos, 2021. "Industry and financial market concentration," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 48(2), pages 275-289, June.
    4. Syed Danial Hashmi & Saqib Gulzar & Zeshan Ghafoor & Iram Naz, 2020. "Sensitivity of firm size measures to practices of corporate finance: evidence from BRICS," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 6(1), pages 1-19, December.
    5. Ruiz-García, J. C., 2021. "Financial Frictions, Firm Dynamics and the Aggregate Economy: Insights from Richer Productivity Processes," Janeway Institute Working Papers 2103, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    6. Ruiz-García, J. C., 2021. "Financial Frictions, Firm Dynamics and the Aggregate Economy: Insights from Richer Productivity Processes," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 2157, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Startup rates; leverage; firm dynamics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • E43 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Interest Rates: Determination, Term Structure, and Effects
    • E44 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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