IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/joares/v46y2008i2p247-287.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Debt‐Contracting Value of Accounting Information and Loan Syndicate Structure

Author

Listed:
  • RYAN BALL
  • ROBERT M. BUSHMAN
  • FLORIN P. VASVARI

Abstract

We investigate how both the ownership structure and explicit contractual structure of syndicated loan deals are shaped by the debt‐contracting value (DCV) of borrowers' accounting information. DCV captures the inherent ability of firms' accounting numbers to capture credit quality deterioration in a timely fashion. We hypothesize and document that when a borrower's accounting information possesses higher DCV, information asymmetry between the lead arranger and other syndicate participants is lower, allowing lead arrangers to hold a smaller proportion of new loan deals. Further, we document that the influence of DCV on the proportion of the loan retained is conditional on the lead arranger's reputation, the existence of a credit rating, and the lead arranger's previous relationships with the same borrower. Finally, we find that when loans include performance pricing provisions, the likelihood that the single performance measure used is an accounting ratio, rather than a credit rating, is increasing in DCV.

Suggested Citation

  • Ryan Ball & Robert M. Bushman & Florin P. Vasvari, 2008. "The Debt‐Contracting Value of Accounting Information and Loan Syndicate Structure," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 247-287, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:46:y:2008:i:2:p:247-287
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2008.00273.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-679X.2008.00273.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1475-679X.2008.00273.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diamond, Douglas W, 1991. "Monitoring and Reputation: The Choice between Bank Loans and Directly Placed Debt," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(4), pages 689-721, August.
    2. Philippe Aghion & Patrick Bolton, 1992. "An Incomplete Contracts Approach to Financial Contracting," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 59(3), pages 473-494.
    3. Leland, Hayne E & Pyle, David H, 1977. "Informational Asymmetries, Financial Structure, and Financial Intermediation," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 32(2), pages 371-387, May.
    4. Bengt Holmstrom & Jean Tirole, 1997. "Financial Intermediation, Loanable Funds, and The Real Sector," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 112(3), pages 663-691.
    5. Arnoud W. A. Boot & Anjan V. Thakor, 2000. "Can Relationship Banking Survive Competition?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(2), pages 679-713, April.
    6. Sang Whi Lee & Donald J. Mullineaux, 2004. "Monitoring, Financial Distress, and the Structure of Commercial Lending Syndicates," Financial Management, Financial Management Association, vol. 33(3), Fall.
    7. Yener Altunbaş & Blaise Gadanecz & Alper Kara, 2006. "The evolution of syndicated loan markets," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 26(6), pages 689-707, September.
    8. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    9. Gorton, Gary B. & Pennacchi, George G., 1995. "Banks and loan sales Marketing nonmarketable assets," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 389-411, June.
    10. Amir Sufi, 2007. "Information Asymmetry and Financing Arrangements: Evidence from Syndicated Loans," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(2), pages 629-668, April.
    11. Basu, Sudipta, 1997. "The conservatism principle and the asymmetric timeliness of earnings," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 3-37, December.
    12. William Wilhelm & Pegaret Pichler, 2001. "A Theory of the Syndicate: Form Follows Function," Economics Series Working Papers 2001-FE-05, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    13. Ball, Ray & Shivakumar, Lakshmanan, 2005. "Earnings quality in UK private firms: comparative loss recognition timeliness," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 83-128, February.
    14. Katerina Simons, 1993. "Why do banks syndicate loans?," New England Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, issue Jan, pages 45-52.
    15. Jonathan D. Jones & William W. Lang & Peter J. Nigro, 2005. "Agent Bank Behavior In Bank Loan Syndications," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 28(3), pages 385-402, September.
    16. Bushman, Robert & Chen, Qi & Engel, Ellen & Smith, Abbie, 2004. "Financial accounting information, organizational complexity and corporate governance systems," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 167-201, June.
    17. Edward I. Altman & Gabriele Sabato, 2013. "MODELING CREDIT RISK FOR SMEs: EVIDENCE FROM THE US MARKET," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Oliviero Roggi & Edward I Altman (ed.), Managing and Measuring Risk Emerging Global Standards and Regulations After the Financial Crisis, chapter 9, pages 251-279, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    18. Givoly, Dan & Hayn, Carla, 2000. "The changing time-series properties of earnings, cash flows and accruals: Has financial reporting become more conservative?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 287-320, June.
    19. Pascal François & Franck Missonier‐Piera, 2007. "The Agency Structure of Loan Syndicates," The Financial Review, Eastern Finance Association, vol. 42(2), pages 227-245, May.
    20. Douglas W. Diamond, 1984. "Financial Intermediation and Delegated Monitoring," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 51(3), pages 393-414.
    21. Bushman, Robert M. & Smith, Abbie J., 2001. "Financial accounting information and corporate governance," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1-3), pages 237-333, December.
    22. Asquith, Paul & Beatty, Anne & Weber, Joseph, 2005. "Performance pricing in bank debt contracts," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-3), pages 101-128, December.
    23. Guay, Wayne & Verrecchia, Robert, 2006. "Discussion of an economic framework for conservative accounting and Bushman and Piotroski (2006)," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 149-165, October.
    24. Pegaret Pichler & William Wilhelm, 2001. "A Theory of the Syndicate: Form Follows Function," OFRC Working Papers Series 2001fe05, Oxford Financial Research Centre.
    25. Smith, Clifford Jr. & Warner, Jerold B., 1979. "On financial contracting : An analysis of bond covenants," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 117-161, June.
    26. Pegaret Pichler & William Wilhelm, 2001. "A Theory of the Syndicate: Form Follows Function," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 56(6), pages 2237-2264, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wittenberg-Moerman, Regina, 2008. "The role of information asymmetry and financial reporting quality in debt trading: Evidence from the secondary loan market," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(2-3), pages 240-260, December.
    2. Kamphol Panyagometh & Gordon S. Roberts, 2010. "Do Lead Banks Exploit Syndicate Participants? Evidence from Ex Post Risk," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 39(1), pages 273-299, March.
    3. Nishant Dass & Vikram Nanda & Qinghai Wang, 2020. "Within‐syndicate conflicts, loan covenants, and syndicate formation," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 49(2), pages 547-583, June.
    4. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Guay, Wayne R. & Weber, Joseph P., 2010. "The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance and debt contracting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 179-234, December.
    5. Kleimeier, Stefanie & Chaudhry, Sajid M., 2015. "Cultural differences and the structure of loan syndicates," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 115-124.
    6. Chala, Alemu Tulu, 2018. "Syndicated Lending: The Role of Relationships for the Retained Share," Working Papers 2018:34, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    7. Isin, Adnan Anil, 2018. "Tax avoidance and cost of debt: The case for loan-specific risk mitigation and public debt financing," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 344-378.
    8. Jian Cai, 2009. "Competition or collaboration? The reciprocity effect in loan syndication," Working Papers (Old Series) 0909, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    9. McCahery, Joseph & Schwienbacher, Armin, 2010. "Bank reputation in the private debt market," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 498-515, September.
    10. Lee, Sang Whi & Kwag, Seung-Woog (Austin) & Mullineaux, Donald J. & Park, Kwangwoo, 2010. "Financial distress, information asymmetry, and syndicate structure: Evidence from Japanese borrowers," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 119-126, June.
    11. Lee, Edward & Pappas, Kostas & Xu, Alice Liang, 2020. "Foreign Lenders’ adoption of performance pricing provisions in syndicated loans," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    12. Chaudhry, Sajid M. & Kleimeier, Stefanie, 2015. "Lead arranger reputation and the structure of loan syndicates," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 116-126.
    13. LiuLing Liu, 2015. "Analyst coverage, syndicate structure, and loan contracts," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 5(1), pages 1-21, June.
    14. Kara, Alper & Marques-Ibanez, David & Ongena, Steven, 2016. "Securitization and lending standards: Evidence from the European wholesale loan market," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 107-127.
    15. Gustafson, Matthew T. & Ivanov, Ivan T. & Meisenzahl, Ralf R., 2021. "Bank monitoring: Evidence from syndicated loans," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(2), pages 452-477.
    16. Robert M. Bushman & Christopher D. Williams & Regina Wittenberg‐Moerman, 2017. "The Informational Role of the Media in Private Lending," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 115-152, March.
    17. Elyasiani, Elyas & Zhang, Ling, 2018. "CEO entrenchment and loan syndication," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 334-346.
    18. Chandera, Yane & Setia-Atmaja, Lukas & Utama, Cynthia Afriani & Husodo, Zaäfri Ananto, 2021. "Ownership dispersion across large shareholders and loan-syndicate structure," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    19. Yener Altunbas & Alper Kara & David Marques-Ibanez, 2010. "Large debt financing: syndicated loans versus corporate bonds," The European Journal of Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(5), pages 437-458.
    20. Hollander, Stephan & Verriest, Arnt, 2016. "Bridging the gap: the design of bank loan contracts and distance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(2), pages 399-419.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:46:y:2008:i:2:p:247-287. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-8456 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.