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Informational Efficiency and Liquidity Premium as the Determinants of Capital Structure

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  • Chang, Chun
  • Yu, Xiaoyun

Abstract

This paper investigates how a firm’s capital structure choice affects the informational efficiency of its security prices in the secondary markets. We identify two new determinants of a firm’s capital structure policy: the liquidity (adverse selection) premium due to investors’ anticipated losses to informed trading, and operating efficiency improvement due to information revelation from the firm’s security prices. We show that the capital structure decision affects traders’ incentives to acquire information and subsequently, the distribution of informed traders across debt and equity claims. When information is less imperative for improving its operating decisions, a firm issues zero or negative debt (i.e., holding excess cash reserves) in order to reduce socially wasteful information acquisition and the liquidity premium associated with it. When information is crucial for a firm’s operating decisions, the optimal debt level is one that achieves maximum information revelation at the lowest possible liquidity cost. Our model can explain why many firms consistently hold no debt. It also provides new implications for financial system design and for the relationship among leverage, liquidity premium, profitability, and the cost of information acquisition.

Suggested Citation

  • Chang, Chun & Yu, Xiaoyun, 2010. "Informational Efficiency and Liquidity Premium as the Determinants of Capital Structure," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(2), pages 401-440, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jfinqa:v:45:y:2010:i:02:p:401-440_00
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    Cited by:

    1. Krishnamurti, Chandrasekhar & Pensiero, Domenico & Velayutham, Eswaran, 2021. "Corruption risk and stock market effects: Evidence from the defence industry," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Tse-Chun Lin & Qi Liu & Bo Sun, 2015. "Contracting with Feedback," International Finance Discussion Papers 1143, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (U.S.).
    3. Kale, Jayant R. & Loon, Yee Cheng, 2011. "Product market power and stock market liquidity," Journal of Financial Markets, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 376-410, May.
    4. Vo, Minh T., 2021. "Capital structure and cost of capital when prices affect real investments," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    5. Feng-Li Lin, 2020. "Do DJIA Firms Reflect Stationary Debt Ratios?," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Tran, Ly Thi Hai & Hoang, Thao Thi Phuong & Tran, Hoa Xuan, 2018. "Stock liquidity and ownership structure during and after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis: Empirical evidence from an emerging market," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 114-133.
    7. Caio Machado & Ana Elisa Pereira, 2023. "Optimal Capital Structure with Stock Market Feedback," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 27(4), pages 1329-1371.
    8. Iván Andrés Ordóñez-Castaño & Edila Eudemia Herrera-Rodríguez & Angélica María Franco Ricaurte & Luis Enrique Perdomo Mejía, 2021. "Voluntary Disclosure of GRI and CSR Environmental Criteria in Colombian Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, May.

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