IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/finlet/v59y2024ics1544612323011194.html

Corporate financialization during broadband upgrade

Author

Listed:
  • Chu, Zhen
  • Cheng, Mingwang
  • Chen, Xuanwei
  • Li, Wenshun

Abstract

The real sector (RS) is undergoing a process of corporate financialization. Using the data from Chinese listed firms, this study employs the “Broadband China” policy as a quasi-natural experiment to investigate the financialization impact of broadband upgrade. We find that the “Broadband China” policy significantly reduces RS firms’ financialization. Additionally, with China's broadband upgrade in progress, the relative return on real investment does not increase, implying that the profit-seeking effect is not the driving force behind suppressing corporate financialization. Further analysis suggests that this suppression is likely driven by the upgrade's precautionary savings effect via alleviating corporate financing constraints.

Suggested Citation

  • Chu, Zhen & Cheng, Mingwang & Chen, Xuanwei & Li, Wenshun, 2024. "Corporate financialization during broadband upgrade," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:finlet:v:59:y:2024:i:c:s1544612323011194
    DOI: 10.1016/j.frl.2023.104747
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1544612323011194
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.frl.2023.104747?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
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Li, Xing & Shen, Guangjun, 2023. "Tax incentives and the financialization of the real sector: Evidence from the accelerated depreciation policy in China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    2. Bui, Tuyen Quang & Do, Anh Vu Phuong, 2022. "Does technological inclusion reduce financial constraints on small and medium sized enterprises? The case of Vietnam," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 47(PA).
    3. Charles J. Hadlock & Joshua R. Pierce, 2010. "New Evidence on Measuring Financial Constraints: Moving Beyond the KZ Index," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 23(5), pages 1909-1940.
    4. Chu, Zhen & Cheng, Mingwang & Yu, Ning Neil, 2021. "A smart city is a less polluted city," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    5. Liu, Zehao & Tang, Huoqing & Zhang, Chengsi, 2023. "Corporate governance, moral hazard, and financialization," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 318-331.
    6. Canzian, Giulia & Poy, Samuele & Schüller, Simone, 2019. "Broadband upgrade and firm performance in rural areas: Quasi-experimental evidence," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 87-103.
    7. Liu, Xiangsheng & Lv, Lingli, 2023. "The effect of China's low carbon city pilot policy on corporate financialization," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    8. Yang, Baochen & Chen, Fengrui, 2023. "The financialization of nonfinancial companies in China: A macroeconomic perspective," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    9. Jin, Xiao Meng & Mai, Yong & Cheung, Adrian Wai Kong, 2022. "Corporate financialization and fixed investment rate: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    10. Wan, Lihong & Zhang, Panpan & Lin, Qi, 2023. "The loss of political connections and corporate financialization," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    11. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hu, Bin & Xu, Qian, 2025. "Environmental regulation penalties and corporate environmental information disclosure," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    2. Gao, Chengyin & Zhang, Shujun, 2025. "ESG performance and corporate financialization: A dual perspective of risk management and value creation," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    3. Feng, Yongqi & Zhang, Haolin & Zhang, Lei, 2025. "How monetary policies and fintech shape the peer effect of corporate financialization: Evidence from China's listed companies," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).

    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. Shen, Zhou & Sun, Sisi & Zhu, Yingtao, 2024. "Shadow banking, credit term structure, and financialization of manufacturing firms," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    2. Huang, Yang & Xiong, Ni & Liu, Chengkun, 2025. "Smart city policies and corporate renewable energy technology innovation: Insights from patent text and machine learning," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    3. Qi, Minhao & Liu, Yuxin & Hu, Changlong & Yang, Zhijiu, 2024. "The unintended consequence of environmental centralization: Evidence from firm financialization," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 96(PB).
    4. Zhao, Feng & Liu, Yuxuan & Dou, Yue & Su, Bin, 2025. "Climate change risks and corporate financialization: Friend or foe? A theoretical and empirical analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    5. Guan, Yu & Wei, Qing, 2024. "Financial cycles and corporate financialization levels—Evidence from the cultural industry enterprises," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 67(PB).
    6. Chen, Lirong & Long, Yuxuan & Tang, Xuemei & Wang, Jiani, 2025. "Can accounts receivable factoring restrain corporate financialization? Evidence from China," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    7. Pan, Ailing & Zhang, Qihao & Tang, Zheng & Qiu, Jinlong, 2025. "Judicial independence and corporate financialization: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Shi, Wenxiang & Fang, Peijie, 2023. "Delisting regulation and corporate financialization: Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 58(PD).
    9. Li, Tongxia & Ang, Tze Chuan ‘Chewie’ & Lu, Chun, 2023. "Employment protection and the provision of trade credit," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    10. Dak-Adzaklo, Cephas Simon Peter & Wong, Raymond M.K., 2024. "Corporate governance reforms, societal trust, and corporate financial policies," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    11. Cambini, Carlo & Grinza, Elena & Sabatino, Lorien, 2023. "Ultra-fast broadband access and productivity: Evidence from Italian firms," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    12. Yin, Libo & Yang, Sen, 2023. "Oil price returns and firm's fixed investment: A production pattern," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    13. Fang, Xubing & Liu, Maotao, 2024. "Regional judicial capacity and corporate total factor productivity: Evidence from the establishment of circuit courts," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 465-489.
    14. Zhong, Rong (Irene), 2025. "Global convergence of financial reporting and resilience to fiscal spillover shocks," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. Filippo Boeri & Riccardo Crescenzi & Davide Rigo, 2025. "Work from Home and Firm Productivity: The Role of ICT and Size," CESifo Working Paper Series 12253, CESifo.
    16. Liu, Qing & Lu, Ruosi & Teng Sun, Stephen & Zhang, Meng, 2024. "Unintended workplace safety consequences of minimum wages," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    17. Zhiwu Chen & Yan Chen & Yan Han & Meiting Lu & Yaowen Shan, 2026. "Justice’s financial footprint: Judicial independence and the cost of debt," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 51(1), pages 174-210, February.
    18. Dongmin Kong & Jiuyi Zhang & Mengxu Xiong, 2024. "The impact of low‐skilled migrants on firm productivity: Evidence from hukou reform in China," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(3), pages 1192-1230, August.
    19. Kim, Jaehyeon & Koo, Kang Mo, 2024. "The effects of takeover laws on corporate financing policies: global evidence," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 69(PB).
    20. Zhang, Xiaoliang & Zheng, Xiaojia, 2024. "Does carbon emission trading policy induce financialization of non-financial firms? Evidence from China," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    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:eee:finlet:v:59:y:2024:i:c:s1544612323011194. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/frl .

    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.