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Business Failure in UK and US Quoted Firms: Impact of Macroeconomic Instability and the Role of Legal Institutions

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  • Bhattacharjee, A.
  • Higson, C.
  • Holly, S.
  • Kattuman, P.

Abstract

Firms exit through the mutually precluding events of bankruptcy and acquisition. We use a competing risks hazard regression model to identify the characteristics leading to each of these two outcomes using over thirty years of data on US and UK quoted firms. We find evidence about the way in which macroeconomic factors affect firm survival in these two economies, in addition to firm and industry-specific factors. Further, there are significant differences in the way in which firms in the US and the UK react to changes in the macroeconomic environment and, particularly to macroeconomic instability. We argue that these differences in response may be attributable to differences in bankruptcy codes in the US and the UK.

Suggested Citation

  • Bhattacharjee, A. & Higson, C. & Holly, S. & Kattuman, P., 2004. "Business Failure in UK and US Quoted Firms: Impact of Macroeconomic Instability and the Role of Legal Institutions," Cambridge Working Papers in Economics 0420, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge.
    • Handle: RePEc:cam:camdae:0420
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    Cited by:

    1. Arnab Bhattacharjee & Jean Bonnet & Nicolas Le Pape & Régis Renault, 2008. "Entrepreneurial motives and performance : Why might better educated entrepreneurs be less successful ?," Post-Print halshs-00337431, HAL.
    2. Buehler Stefan & Kaiser Christian & Jaeger Franz, 2005. "Competition Policy and Exit Rates: Evidence from Switzerland," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 4(1), pages 1-28, November.
    3. repec:diw:diwfin:diwfin01050 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Gongyu Chen & Chris Higson & Sean Holly & Ivan Petrella, 2010. "Equity Markets, Financial Integration and Competitive Convergence," Working Paper / FINESS 1.5, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    5. Alessandra Amendola & Marialuisa Restaino & Luca Sensini, 2013. "Corporate Financial Distress And Bankruptcy: A Comparative Analysis In France, Italy And Spain," Global Economic Observer, "Nicolae Titulescu" University of Bucharest, Faculty of Economic Sciences;Institute for World Economy of the Romanian Academy, vol. 1(2), pages 131-142, November.
    6. Becchetti, Leonardo & Carpentieri, Andrea & Hasan, Iftekhar, 2009. "The determinants of option-adjusted delta credit spreads : a comparative analysis of the United States, the United Kingdom and the euro area," Research Discussion Papers 34/2009, Bank of Finland.
    7. Leonardo Becchetti & Andrea Carpentieri & Iftekhar Hasan, 2012. "Option†Adjusted Delta Credit Spreads: a Cross†Country Analysis," European Financial Management, European Financial Management Association, vol. 18(2), pages 183-217, March.
    8. Harald Strotmann, 2007. "Entrepreneurial Survival," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 87-104, January.
    9. Arnab Bhattacharjee & Chris Higson & Sean Holly, 2014. "Asymmetric Price Adjustment, Sticky Costs and Operating Leverage over the Business Cycle," SEEC Discussion Papers 1402, Spatial Economics and Econometrics Centre, Heriot Watt University.
    10. Khoja, Layla & Chipulu, Maxwell & Jayasekera, Ranadeva, 2019. "Analysis of financial distress cross countries: Using macroeconomic, industrial indicators and accounting data," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    11. repec:ntu:ntugeo:vol1-iss2s-13-131 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Arnab Bhattacharjee & Chris Higson & Sean Holly & Paul Kattuman, 2007. "Macroeconomic Conditions and Business Exit: Determinants of Failures and Acquisitions of UK Firms," CDMA Working Paper Series 200713, Centre for Dynamic Macroeconomic Analysis.
    13. Becchetti, Leonardo & Carpentieri, Andrea & Hasan, Iftekhar, 2009. "The determinants of option-adjusted delta credit spreads: a comparative analysis of the United States, the United Kingdom and the euro area," Bank of Finland Research Discussion Papers 34/2009, Bank of Finland.
    14. Maria Brouwer, 2006. "Reorganization in US and European Bankruptcy law," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 22(1), pages 5-20, July.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles
    • K22 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Business and Securities Law
    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies

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