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On the Investment Sensitivity of Debt under Uncertainty

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher F. Baum

    (Boston College
    DIW Berlin)

  • Mustafa Caglayan

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Oleksandr Talavera

    (School of Economics, University of East Anglia)

Abstract

We investigate the impact of debt on a panel of U.S. manufacturing firms' capital investment behavior as the underlying firm-specific and macroeconomic uncertainty changes. Our estimates show that the influence of leverage on capital investment may be stimulating or mitigating depending on the effects of uncertainty.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher F. Baum & Mustafa Caglayan & Oleksandr Talavera, 2008. "On the Investment Sensitivity of Debt under Uncertainty," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 686, Boston College Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:boc:bocoec:686
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Baum, Christopher F. & Caglayan, Mustafa & Talavera, Oleksandr, 2008. "Uncertainty determinants of firm investment," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 98(3), pages 282-287, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Panagiotidis, Theodore & Printzis, Panagiotis, 2020. "What is the investment loss due to uncertainty?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 45(C).
    2. Estefanía Mourelle & Juan Carlos Cuestas, 2022. "Investment dynamics in Central and Eastern Europe: Why doesn’t the sun always rise from the east?," Working Papers 2022/02, Economics Department, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón (Spain).
    3. Panagiotidis, Theodore & Printzis, Panagiotis, 2021. "Investment and uncertainty: Are large firms different from small ones?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 302-317.
    4. Caglayan, Mustafa & Maioli, Sara & Mateut, Simona, 2012. "Inventories, sales uncertainty, and financial strength," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 2512-2521.
    5. Chortareas, Georgios & Noikokyris, Emmanouil & Rakeeb, Fathima Roshan, 2021. "Investment, firm-specific uncertainty, and market power in South Africa," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 389-395.
    6. Mustafa Caglayan & Sara Maioli & Simona Mateut, 2011. "Inventories and sales uncertainty," Discussion Papers 11/02, University of Nottingham, Centre for Finance, Credit and Macroeconomics (CFCM).
    7. Mahraddika, Wishnu, 2019. "Does international reserve accumulation crowd out domestic private investment?," International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 39-50.
    8. Kim, Youngju & Lee, Seohyun & Lim, Hyunjoon, 2023. "Uncertainty, credit and investment: Evidence from firm-bank matched data," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    9. Wishnu Mahraddika, 2019. "Does international reserve accumulation crowd out domestic private investment?," Departmental Working Papers 2019-02, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    10. Claudiu Tiberiu Albulescu, 2020. "Investment Behaviour and Firms’ Financial Performance: A Comparative Analysis Using Firm-Level Data from the Wine Industry," International Journal of Management, Knowledge and Learning, International School for Social and Business Studies, Celje, Slovenia, vol. 9(1), pages 75-94.
    11. Muhammad Arif Khan & Xuezhi Qin & Khalil Jebran, 2020. "Uncertainty and leverage nexus: does trade credit matter?," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(3), pages 355-389, September.
    12. Guariglia, Alessandra & Tsoukalas, John & Tsoukas, Serafeim, 2012. "Investment, irreversibility, and financing constraints: Evidence from a panel of transition economies," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 117(3), pages 582-584.
    13. Muhammad Sajid & Amir Mahmood & Hazoor Muhammad Sabir, 2016. "Does Financial Leverage Influence Investment Decisions? Empirical Evidence From KSE-30 Index of Pakistan," Asian Journal of Economic Modelling, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 4(2), pages 82-89, June.
    14. Bellmann, Lutz & Gerner, Hans-Dieter & Hübler, Olaf, 2013. "Investment under Company-Level Pacts," IZA Discussion Papers 7195, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    15. Ms. Bergljot B Barkbu & Pelin Berkmen & Pavel Lukyantsau & Mr. Sergejs Saksonovs & Hanni Schoelermann, 2015. "Investment in the Euro Area: Why Has It Been Weak?," IMF Working Papers 2015/032, International Monetary Fund.
    16. Qing He & Yaqin Liu & Qian Yu & Chao Wei, 2022. "Risk Dominance Analysis of R&D Investment Cooperation in Dynamic Option Game," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-21, December.
    17. Joseph P. Byrne & Marina-Eliza Spaliara & Serafeim Tsoukas, 2016. "Firm Survival, Uncertainty, And Financial Frictions: Is There A Financial Uncertainty Accelerator?," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 54(1), pages 375-390, January.
    18. Sungmoon Jung & Gihyun Kwak, 2018. "Firm Characteristics, Uncertainty and Research and Development (R&D) Investment: The Role of Size and Innovation Capacity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-14, May.
    19. Pravakar Sahoo & Ashwani Bishnoi, 2021. "Drivers of Corporate Investment Slowdown in India: A Firm Level Analysis," IEG Working Papers 441, Institute of Economic Growth.
    20. Claudiu Tiberiu Albulescu & Şerban Miclea & Simina Silvana Suciu & Matei Tămăşilă, 2018. "Firm-level investment in the extractive industry from CEE countries: the role of macroeconomic uncertainty and internal conditions," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 8(2), pages 193-208, June.
    21. Arif Khan, Muhammad & Qin, Xuezhi & Jebran, Khalil, 2019. "Does uncertainty influence the leverage-investment association in Chinese firms?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 134-152.
    22. Chortareas, Georgios & Noikokyris, Emmanouil, 2021. "Investment, firm-specific uncertainty, and financial flexibility," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 25-35.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    capital investment; leverage; uncertainty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E22 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Investment; Capital; Intangible Capital; Capacity
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty

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