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Financial constraint and the choice between leasing and debt

Author

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  • Lin, Jane-Raung
  • Wang, Chia-Jane
  • Chou, De-Wei
  • Chueh, Fei-Chun

Abstract

Earlier studies suggest that companies use debt and leases interchangeably as the alternative external financing choice. We provide evidence that firms are not indifferent between debt and leases and the lease versus debt decision depends on the extent to which firms are financially constrained. For the most constrained firms leasing (debt) is negatively (positively) related to internal funds and for the less constrained firms the results are just the opposite. Our findings support the hypothesis that constrained firms tend to choose leasing over debt financing. The results are robust to various estimation methods that control for endogeneity and panel dynamics.

Suggested Citation

  • Lin, Jane-Raung & Wang, Chia-Jane & Chou, De-Wei & Chueh, Fei-Chun, 2013. "Financial constraint and the choice between leasing and debt," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 171-182.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:27:y:2013:i:c:p:171-182
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2012.09.012
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    3. Białek-Jaworska Anna & Dobroszek Justyna & Szatkowska Paulina, 2022. "Does the IFRS 16 affect the key ratios of listed companies? Evidence from Poland," International Journal of Management and Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, Collegium of World Economy, vol. 58(3), pages 299-315, September.
    4. Zoey Wong & Afei Chen & Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary & Rongrong Li & Qunxi Kong, 2023. "Financing Constraints and Firm’s Productivity Under the COVID-19 Epidemic Shock: Evidence of A-Shared Chinese Companies," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(1), pages 167-195, February.
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    7. Pintus, Patrick A. & Wen, Yi & Xing, Xiaochuan, 2022. "The inverted leading indicator property and redistribution effect of the interest rate," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    8. Mabel D. Costa & Ahsan Habib & Md. Borhan Uddin Bhuiyan, 2021. "Financial constraints and asymmetric cost behavior," Journal of Management Control: Zeitschrift für Planung und Unternehmenssteuerung, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 33-83, March.
    9. Anna Białek-Jaworska & Aneta Dzik-Walczak & Natalia Nehrebecka, 2015. "Kiedy firmy sięgają po leasing?," Gospodarka Narodowa. The Polish Journal of Economics, Warsaw School of Economics, issue 2, pages 113-144.
    10. Munir, Qaiser & Kok, Sook Ching & Teplova, Tamara & Li, Tongxia, 2017. "Powerful CEOs, debt financing, and leasing in Chinese SMEs: Evidence from threshold model," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 487-503.
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