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Institutional characteristics, investment sensitivity to cash flow and Tobin's q: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region

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  • Abed Al‐Nasser Abdallah
  • Wissam Abdallah
  • Mohsen Saad

Abstract

We examine the sensitivity of corporate investment to stock‐market valuations (measured by Tobin's q) and internal funds (measured by cash flow) in a setting that captures the unique country institutional characteristics of the Middle East and North Africa region. We report a higher sensitivity of investments to cash flow than Tobin's q. However, both sensitivities are unaffected by the country institutional characteristics. By examining the sensitivity of investments to cash flow and Tobin's q before and after the 2008 global financial crisis, we document that the investment‐cash flow relation has weakened over time, while the investment‐Tobin's q relation has significantly strengthened. Finally, after dividing our country sample into resource‐rich and resource‐poor countries, the importance of cash flow over Tobin's q in the determination of corporate investment levels is asserted and the role of financial markets is found to be restricted to resource‐rich countries only.

Suggested Citation

  • Abed Al‐Nasser Abdallah & Wissam Abdallah & Mohsen Saad, 2020. "Institutional characteristics, investment sensitivity to cash flow and Tobin's q: Evidence from the Middle East and North Africa region," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 324-339, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:intfin:v:23:y:2020:i:2:p:324-339
    DOI: 10.1111/infi.12366
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    2. Pierre Boutros & Ali Fakih & Sara Kassab & Zeina Lizzaik, 2022. "Does the Number of Publications Matter for Academic Promotion in Higher Education? Evidence from Lebanon," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-23, October.

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