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Interest rate changes and the timing of debt issues

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  • Barry, Christopher B.
  • Mann, Steven C.
  • Mihov, Vassil
  • Rodríguez, Mauricio

Abstract

There is much recent interest in the role of market timing in firm financial decisions. Using a large detailed sample of corporate public debt issues, private placements, Rule 144A issues and bank loans over the period 1970-2006, we investigate the relationship between interest rate changes and issues of floating and fixed-rate debt. Our results indicate that both past and future rates are associated with issuance decisions. We examine whether firms are able to lower their cost of capital by anticipating future rate changes, controlling for firm characteristics and market conditions. Our findings suggest that evidence of timing success is dependent on the time interval and type of debt examined. Over the longest time intervals available in our data, we do not find evidence of timing ability for fixed-rate or floating-rate debt issues.

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  • Barry, Christopher B. & Mann, Steven C. & Mihov, Vassil & Rodríguez, Mauricio, 2009. "Interest rate changes and the timing of debt issues," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 600-608, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:33:y:2009:i:4:p:600-608
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Frank, Murray Z. & Nezafat, Mahdi, 2019. "Testing the credit-market-timing hypothesis using counterfactual issuing dates," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 187-207.
    3. Mann, Steven V. & Powers, Eric A., 2007. "Determinants of bond tender premiums and the percentage tendered," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(3), pages 547-566, March.
    4. Butler, Alexander W. & Cornaggia, Jess & Grullon, Gustavo & Weston, James P., 2011. "Corporate financing decisions, managerial market timing, and real investment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(3), pages 666-683, September.
    5. Autore, Don M. & Kovacs, Tunde, 2010. "Equity issues and temporal variation in information asymmetry," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 12-23, January.
    6. Gyimah, Daniel & Siganos, Antonios & Veld, Chris, 2021. "Effects of financial constraints and product market competition on share repurchases," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    7. Satoshi Tezuka & Yoichi Matsubayashi, 2018. "Credit Spread, Financial Market and Real Activities under Financial Instability: Empirical Evidence with MS-SBVAR," Discussion Papers 1812, Graduate School of Economics, Kobe University.
    8. Pianeselli, Daniele & Zaghini, Andrea, 2014. "The cost of firms’ debt financing and the global financial crisis," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 11(2), pages 74-83.
    9. Kelvin Jui Keng Tan & Jia Min Lee & Robert W. Faff & Kathy Walsh, 2016. "Short-selling pressure and last-resort debt finance: evidence from 144A high-yield risk-adjusted debt," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 56(4), pages 1149-1185, December.
    10. D'Mello, Ranjan & Miranda, Mercedes, 2010. "Long-term debt and overinvestment agency problem," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 324-335, February.
    11. Pianeselli, Daniele & Zaghini, Andrea, 2013. "The cost of firms' debt financing," CFS Working Paper Series 2013/03, Center for Financial Studies (CFS).
    12. Daniele Pianeselli & Andrea Zaghini, 2014. "The cost of firms� debt financing and the global financial crisis," Temi di discussione (Economic working papers) 950, Bank of Italy, Economic Research and International Relations Area.
    13. Kyojik Song, 2009. "Does debt market timing increase firm value?," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(20), pages 2605-2617.
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    15. John A. Doukas & Jie (Michael) Guo & Bilei Zhou, 2011. "‘Hot’ Debt Markets and Capital Structure," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 17(1), pages 46-99, January.

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