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Firm Life Cycle and Cost of Debt

Author

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  • Abu Amin
  • Blake Bowler
  • Mostafa Monzur Hasan
  • Gerald L. Lobo
  • Jiri Tresl

Abstract

This paper examines the relation between the corporate life cycle and lending spreads. Using a sample of 20,307 firm-loan observations spanning 5,076 publicly traded U.S. firms, we find that mature firms pay lower lending spreads. This reduction is incremental to the variation explained by financial controls that may have previously been thought to sufficiently account for variation in the corporate life cycle. In our multivariate analysis, continuous measures of maturity yield point elasticities with effects as large as 1.50 bps while categorical life cycle measures indicate that firms in the introduction and decline phases pay lending spreads that are greater than firms in the mature phase (6 percent and 12 percent, respectively). We explore omitted variables bias and instrumental variable estimation in robustness testing and find these patterns persist. Our findings are consistent with theoretical predictions regarding the relationship between the corporate life cycle and various lending risks.

Suggested Citation

  • Abu Amin & Blake Bowler & Mostafa Monzur Hasan & Gerald L. Lobo & Jiri Tresl, 2020. "Firm Life Cycle and Cost of Debt," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp665, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    • Handle: RePEc:cer:papers:wp665
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    firm life cycle; cost of debt; bank loans; risk;
    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
    • M21 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - Business Economics

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