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The Impact of Financial Structure on Firms' Financial Constraints: A Cross-Country Analysis

Author

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  • Christopher F. Baum
  • Dorothea Schäfer
  • Oleksandr Talavera

Abstract

We estimate firms' cash flow sensitivity of cash to empirically test how the financial system's structure and activity level influence their financial constraints. For this purpose we merge Almeida, Campello and Weisbach (2004), a pathbreaking new design for evaluating a firm's financial constraints, with Levine (2002), who paved the way for comparative analysis of financial systems around the world. We conjecture that a country's financial system, both in terms of its structure and its level of development, should influence the cash flow sensitivity of cash of constrained firms but leave unconstrained firms unaffected. We test our hypothesis with a large international sample of 80,000 firm-years from 1989 to 2006. Our findings reveal that both the structure of the financial system and its level of development matter. Bank-based financial systems provide constrained firms with easier access to external financing.

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher F. Baum & Dorothea Schäfer & Oleksandr Talavera, 2009. "The Impact of Financial Structure on Firms' Financial Constraints: A Cross-Country Analysis," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 863, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    • Handle: RePEc:diw:diwwpp:dp863
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    Cited by:

    1. Liu, Chao & Fan, Yixin & Xie, Qiwei & Wang, Chao, 2022. "Market-based versus bank-based financial structure in China: From the perspective of financial risk," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 24-39.
    2. Benlu Hai & Ximing Yin & Jie Xiong & Jin Chen, 2022. "Could more innovation output bring better financial performance? The role of financial constraints," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-26, December.
    3. Nguyen, James, 2012. "The relationship between net interest margin and noninterest income using a system estimation approach," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 36(9), pages 2429-2437.
    4. Martinsson, Gustav & Lööf, Hans, 2009. "Internal Finance and Patents - evidence from firm-level data," Working Paper Series in Economics and Institutions of Innovation 194, Royal Institute of Technology, CESIS - Centre of Excellence for Science and Innovation Studies.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

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