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The (Self-) Funding of Intangibles

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  • Perotti, Enrico
  • Döttling, Robin
  • Ladika, Tomislav

Abstract

We model how technological change leads to a shift in corporate investment towards intangible capital, and test its implications for corporate financial policy. While tangible assets can be purchased and funded externally, most intangible capital is created by skilled workers investing their human capital, so it requires lower upfront outlays. Indeed, U.S. high-intangibles firms have larger free cash flows and lower total investment spending, and do not appear more financially constrained. We model and test how these firms optimally retain cash for both a precautionary as well as a retention motive. The optimal reward for risk-averse human capital involves deferred compensation and a commitment to retain cash. High-intangibles firms also should favor a payout policy of repurchases over dividends to avoid penalizing unvested claims. Our empirical evidence supports these predictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Perotti, Enrico & Döttling, Robin & Ladika, Tomislav, 2018. "The (Self-) Funding of Intangibles," CEPR Discussion Papers 12618, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
  • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:12618
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Technological change; Intangible assets; Cash holdings; Human capital; Corporate leverage; Equity grants; Deferred equity; Share vesting;
    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
    • G35 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Payout Policy
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J33 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Compensation Packages; Payment Methods

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