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Corporate ownership structure and the choice between bank debt and public debt

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  • Lin, Chen
  • Ma, Yue
  • Malatesta, Paul
  • Xuan, Yuhai

Abstract

This article examines the relation between a borrowing firm's ownership structure and its choice of debt source using a novel data set on corporate ownership, control, and debt structures for 9,831 firms in 20 countries from 2001 to 2010. We find that the divergence between the control rights and cash-flow rights of a borrowing firm's largest ultimate owner has a significant negative impact on the firm's reliance on bank debt financing. In addition, we show that the control-ownership divergence affects other aspects of debt structure including debt maturity and security. Our results indicate that firms controlled by large shareholders with excess control rights may choose public debt financing over bank debt as a way of avoiding scrutiny and insulating themselves from bank monitoring.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Chen & Ma, Yue & Malatesta, Paul & Xuan, Yuhai, 2013. "Corporate ownership structure and the choice between bank debt and public debt," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 109(2), pages 517-534.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfinec:v:109:y:2013:i:2:p:517-534
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jfineco.2013.03.006
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    Cited by:

    1. Ben-Nasr, Hamdi & Boubaker, Sabri & Rouatbi, Wael, 2015. "Ownership structure, control contestability, and corporate debt maturity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 265-285.
    2. Lin, Qi, 2015. "Growth options effect on leverage: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 152-168.
    3. repec:eee:jfinec:v:112:y:2014:i:2:p:190-212 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Byun, Hae-Young & Choi, Sunhwa & Hwang, Lee-Seok & Kim, Robert G., 2013. "Business group affiliation, ownership structure, and the cost of debt," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 23(C), pages 311-331.
    5. Sandra Correia & Paula Brito & Elísio Brandão, 2014. "Corporate Debt Maturity - An international comparison of firm debt maturity choices," FEP Working Papers 544, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.
    6. Jie Chen & Woon Sau Leung & Wei Song & Davide Avino, 2018. "Does CDS trading affect risk-taking incentives in managerial compensation?," Working Papers 2018-19, Swansea University, School of Management.
    7. repec:eee:corfin:v:46:y:2017:i:c:p:261-283 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Joel F. Houston & Chen Lin & Junbo Wang, 2014. "Does Bank Monitoring Matter to Bondholders?," Working Papers 162014, Hong Kong Institute for Monetary Research.
    9. repec:kap:jmgtgv:v:22:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10997-017-9380-x is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Díaz-Díaz, Nieves Lidia & García-Teruel, Pedro J. & Martínez-Solano, Pedro, 2016. "Debt maturity structure in private firms: Does the family control matter?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 393-411.
    11. Davydov, Denis, 2016. "Debt structure and corporate performance in emerging markets," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 299-311.
    12. Davydov, Denis & Nikkinen, Jussi & Vähämaa, Sami, 2014. "Does the decision to issue public debt affect firm valuation? Russian evidence," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 136-151.
    13. Lo, Huai-Chun & Ting, Irene Wei Kiong & Kweh, Qian Long & Yang, Ming Jing, 2016. "Nonlinear association between ownership concentration and leverage: The role of family control," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 113-123.
    14. Howard Bodenhorn, 2014. "Voting Rights, Shareholdings, and Leverage at Nineteenth-Century U.S. Banks," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 57(2), pages 431-458.
    15. Borisova, Ginka & Fotak, Veljko & Holland, Kateryna & Megginson, William L., 2015. "Government ownership and the cost of debt: Evidence from government investments in publicly traded firms," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 168-191.
    16. Tanaka, Takanori, 2014. "Corporate governance and the cost of public debt financing: Evidence from Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 34(C), pages 315-335.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ownership structure; Excess control rights; Bank Debt; Public Debt;

    JEL classification:

    • G21 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Banks; Other Depository Institutions; Micro Finance Institutions; Mortgages
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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