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Corporate Diversification and Firm Value: Evidence from Post‐1997 Data

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  • XI HE

Abstract

In 1997, SFAS 131 established a new segment‐reporting standard for US public companies. Using measures of diversification based on the diversity in segment‐industry characteristics and controlling for endogeneity of the diversification decision, we document a diversification premium in our post‐1997 period. We find significant positive effects of cash flow diversity, leverage diversity and profitability diversity on excess value, consistent with the efficient internal capital market hypothesis. We also find that the size of the diversification premium in the post‐1997 data is negatively correlated with the degree of diversification and positively correlated with firm size. In contrast, we find that the pre‐1998 data typically generates a diversification discount, but the effect is statistically less significant when endogeneity is controlled for. Thus, the diversification discount documented in earlier studies can be an artifact of the pre‐1998 data or a failure to control for endogeneity.

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  • Xi He, 2009. "Corporate Diversification and Firm Value: Evidence from Post‐1997 Data," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 9(4), pages 359-385, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:irvfin:v:9:y:2009:i:4:p:359-385
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2443.2009.01096.x
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    2. Jafarinejad, Mohammad & Jory, Surendranath R. & Ngo, Thanh N., 2015. "The effects of institutional ownership on the value and risk of diversified firms," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 207-219.
    3. Elif AKBEN SELCUK, 2014. "Corporate Diversification, Group Affiliation and Firm Value: Evidence From Turkey," Journal of BRSA Banking and Financial Markets, Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, vol. 8(2), pages 151-174.
    4. Jafarinejad, Mohammad & Ngo, Thanh & Escobari, Diego, 2018. "Disentangling the impacts of industrial and global diversification on firm risk," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 39-56.
    5. Mark Holder & Aiwu Zhao, 2015. "Value exploration and materialization in diversification strategies," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 175-213, July.
    6. Duc Nam Phung & Anil V. Mishra, 2016. "Corporation Diversification and Firm Performance: Evidence from Vietnamese Listed Firms," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 386-408, December.

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