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What do we know about the capital structure of small firms?

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  • Karin Jõeveer

Abstract

Firm data from ten Western European countries is used in this paper to contrast the sources of leverage across small and large, as well as across listed and unlisted firms. Specifically, the explanatory power of firm-specific, country of incorporation institutional, and macroeconomic factors is evaluated. Using data that is more comprehensive in coverage than that used in the existing research the stylized facts of the capital structure literature for large and listed firms is confirmed, but contrasting evidence is obtained for smaller companies. First, the country of incorporation carries much more information for small firms, supporting the idea that small firms are more financially constrained and face non-firm-specific hurdles in their capital structure choice. Second, using two different leverage measures it is shown that the relationship of firm size and tangibility to leverage is robust to the measure used for listed, but not for unlisted firms. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. 2013

Suggested Citation

  • Karin Jõeveer, 2013. "What do we know about the capital structure of small firms?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 479-501, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:41:y:2013:i:2:p:479-501
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-012-9440-1
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    3. Ginés Hernández-Cánovas & Ana Mol-Gómez-Váquez & Johanna Koëter-Kant, 2014. "Legal and institutional determinants of factoring in SMEs: Empirical analysis across 25 European countries," Proceedings of Economics and Finance Conferences 0401481, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    4. Daisuke Tsuruta, 2015. "Leverage and firm performance of small businesses: evidence from Japan," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 385-410, February.
    5. Amarjit Gill & Harvinder S. Mand & Afshin Amiraslany & Neil Mathur, 2017. "Socially Responsible Investment, Internal Financing Sources and Access to Bank Financing: Evidence from Indian Survey Data," Asian Academy of Management Journal of Accounting and Finance (AAMJAF), Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia, vol. 13(2), pages 109-133.
    6. Georgios A. Savvakis & Dimitris Kenourgios & Theofanis Papageorgiou, 2021. "To EMU or not to EMU: Can TFP “provoke” the capital structure puzzle of SMEs?," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(2), pages 2595-2611, April.
    7. Thi van Hoang & Călin Gurău & Amine Lahiani & Thuy-Luu Seran, 2017. "Do crises impact capital structure? A study of French micro-enterprises," Post-Print hal-03608784, HAL.
    8. Casino-Martínez, Alejandro & López-Gracia, Jose & Mestre-Barberá, Reyes, 2023. "The regulatory environment and financial constraints of private firms in the European Union," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 55(C).
    9. David K. Chalmers & Marco Della Porta & Luca Sensini, 2020. "Export Intensity and Leverage: An Empirical Analysis of Spanish SMEs," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 382-386.
    10. Mario Tirelli, 2021. "On the optimal investment finance of small businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1639-1665, April.
    11. Huang, Chao-Hsi & Hsieh, Yi-Shan, 2021. "Leverage dynamics over the business cycle: Evidence from Taiwan listed and unlisted firms," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 373-391.
    12. Fałat-Kilijańska Ilona & Gláserová Jana & Luty Piotr & Otavová Milena, 2020. "Determinants of the Financing Structure of the Acquiring Companies in the Pre-Merger Period. Results of the Research," Financial Sciences. Nauki o Finansach, Sciendo, vol. 25(4), pages 16-42, December.
    13. Julia Koralun-Bereźnicka, 2014. "On the Relative Importance of Corporate Working Capital Determinants: Findings from the EU Countries," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 8(4), December.
    14. David K. Chalmers & Marco Della Porta & Luca Sensini, 2020. "Export Intensity and Leverage: An Empirical Analysis of Spanish SMEs," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 10(5), pages 382-386.
    15. Paola Bongini & Annalisa Ferrando & Emanuele Rossi & Monica Rossolini, 2021. "SME access to market-based finance across Eurozone countries," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 1667-1697, April.
    16. Jõeveer, Karin, 2013. "Firm, country and macroeconomic determinants of capital structure: Evidence from transition economies," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 294-308.
    17. Pinto, João M. & Silva, Cátia S., 2021. "Does export intensity affect corporate leverage? Evidence from Portuguese SMEs," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 38(C).
    18. Amarjit Gill & Craig Wilson, 2021. "Bank connections and small business performance: Evidence from Canadian survey data," International Journal of Finance & Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(4), pages 5110-5134, October.
    19. Siti Nur Aqilah Ab Wahab & Nur Ainna Ramli, 2014. "The Determinants of Capital Structure: An Empirical Investigation of Malaysian Listed Government Linked Companies," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 4(4), pages 930-945.
    20. Hernandez-Canovas, Gines & Koeter-Kant, Johanna, 2006. "SME Financing in Europe: Cross-Country Determinants of Debt Maturity," Serie Research Memoranda 0009, VU University Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Econometrics.
    21. Amarjit Gill & Harvinder S. Mand & Afshin Amiraslany & Neil Mathur, 2020. "Efficient Working Capital Management and the Cost of Debt," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 19(2), pages 131-149, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Capital structure; Small firms; Unlisted firms; International evidence; G10; G32; L25; L33; L26;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • 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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