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Estimating and Comparing the Implied Cost of Equity for Canadian and U.S. Firms

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  • Jonathan Witmer
  • Lorie Zorn

Abstract

This paper estimates the implied cost of equity for Canadian and U.S. firms using a methodology based on the dividend discount model and utilizing firms' current stock price and analysts' forecasted earnings. We find that firm size and firm stock liquidity are negatively related to cost of equity, while greater firm financial leverage and greater dispersion in analysts' earnings forecasts are associated with a higher cost of equity. Moreover, longer-term sovereign bond yields also seem to play a role in a firm's cost of equity. After controlling for several factors, both at a firm-level and at an aggregate level, we find that the cost of equity for Canadian firms is 30-50 bps higher than that of U.S. firms during 1988-2006. Because our estimates may not fully account for factors such as currency risk, inflation uncertainty, degree of market integration, personal taxes, and differences in regulatory environments, we might shed further light on these results by incorporating proxies for these factors and perhaps extending our comparison to more countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Jonathan Witmer & Lorie Zorn, 2007. "Estimating and Comparing the Implied Cost of Equity for Canadian and U.S. Firms," Staff Working Papers 07-48, Bank of Canada.
    • Handle: RePEc:bca:bocawp:07-48
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    Cited by:

    1. Raf Orens & Walter Aerts & Denis Cormier, 2010. "Web‐Based Non‐Financial Disclosure and Cost of Finance," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(9‐10), pages 1057-1093, November.
    2. Muhammad Jahangir Ali & Seema Miglani & Man Dang & Premkanth Puwanenthiren & Mazur Mieszko, 2022. "Do family firms pay less for external funding?," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 47(2), pages 225-250, May.
    3. Switzer, Lorne N. & El Meslmani, Nabil & Zhai, Xinkai, 2022. "IPO performance and the size effect: Evidence for the US and Canada," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    4. Cécile Carpentier & Douglas Cumming & Jean-Marc Suret, 2010. "The Valuation Effect of Listing Requirements: An Analysis of Venture Capital-Backed IPOs," CIRANO Working Papers 2010s-01, CIRANO.
    5. Kais Bouslah & Lawrence Kryzanowski & Bouchra M’Zali, 2018. "Social Performance and Firm Risk: Impact of the Financial Crisis," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(3), pages 643-669, May.
    6. Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Hossain, Mahmud & Cheung, Adrian (Wai-Kong) & Habib, Ahsan, 2015. "Corporate life cycle and cost of equity capital," Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 46-60.
    7. Atan, Ruhaya & Alam, Md. Mahmudul & Said, Jamaliah & Zamri, Mohamed, 2019. "The Impacts of Environmental, Social, and Governance Factors on Firm Performance: Panel Study of Malaysian Companies," SocArXiv ntz52, Center for Open Science.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Financial markets; International topics;

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • G38 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Government Policy and Regulation

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