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The Firm-Level Credit Multiplier

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  • Murillo Campello
  • Dirk Hackbarth

Abstract

We study the effect of asset tangibility on corporate financing and investment decisions. Financially constrained firms benefit the most from investing in tangible assets because those assets help relax constraints, allowing for further investment. Using a dynamic model, we characterize this effect - which we call firm-level credit multiplier - and show how asset tangibility increases the sensitivity of investment to Tobin's Q for financially constrained firms. Examining a large sample of manufacturers over the 1971-2005 period as well as simulated data, we find support for our theory's tangibility-investment channel. We further verify that our findings are driven by firms' debt issuance activities. Consistent with our empirical identification strategy, the firm-level credit multiplier is absent from samples of financially unconstrained firms and samples of financially constrained firms with low spare debt capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Murillo Campello & Dirk Hackbarth, 2012. "The Firm-Level Credit Multiplier," NBER Working Papers 17805, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:17805
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    2. Rapp, Marc Steffen & Schmid, Thomas & Urban, Daniel, 2014. "The value of financial flexibility and corporate financial policy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 288-302.
    3. Cao, Yue & Dong, Yizhe & Ma, Diandian & Sun, Li, 2021. "Customer concentration and corporate risk-taking," Journal of Financial Stability, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    4. Didier, Tatiana & Levine, Ross & Llovet Montanes, Ruth & Schmukler, Sergio L., 2021. "Capital market financing and firm growth," Journal of International Money and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    5. Arping, Stefan & Sautner, Zacharias, 2010. "Corporate governance and leverage: Evidence from a natural experiment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 127-134, June.
    6. Narayan, Seema & Bui, Minh Ngoc Thi & Ren, Yishuai & Ma, Chaoqun, 2021. "Macroeconomic determinants of US corporate leverage," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 104(C).
    7. Bustamante, M. Cecilia, 2016. "How Do Frictions Affect Corporate Investment? A Structural Approach," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 51(6), pages 1863-1895, December.
    8. Norden, Lars & van Kampen, Stefan, 2013. "Corporate leverage and the collateral channel," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 5062-5072.
    9. Wang, Mengying, 2017. "Does foreign direct investment affect host-country firms' financial constraints?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 522-539.
    10. Bencheikh, Fayrouz & Taktak, Neila Boulila, 2017. "Access to bank financing and the collateral channel: The case of Tunisian firms before and after the revolution," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 874-886.
    11. Bing Xu, 2017. "Permissible collateral and access to finance: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Working Papers 1750, Banco de España.
    12. Bing Xu, 2017. "Permissible collateral and access to finance: evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," Working Papers 1750, Banco de España.
    13. Ganguly, Kousik & Mishra, Ajay Kumar & Parikh, Bhavik, 2023. "Do Political connections influence investment decisions? Evidence from India," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    14. Xu, Bing, 2018. "Permissible collateral and access to finance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," BOFIT Discussion Papers 3/2018, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    15. Biao Chen & Jinqiang Yang & Chuanqian Zhang, 2021. "Corporate investment and financing with uncertain growth opportunities," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 821-842, September.
    16. Murillo Campello & Mauricio Larrain, 2016. "Enlarging the Contracting Space: Collateral Menus, Access to Credit, and Economic Activity," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 29(2), pages 349-383.
    17. Xu, Bing, 2019. "Permissible collateral and access to finance: Evidence from a quasi-natural experiment," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 237-255.
    18. Golbeck, Steven & Linetsky, Vadim, 2013. "Asset financing with credit risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 43-59.
    19. Beladi, Hamid & Deng, Jie & Hu, May, 2021. "Cross-border investment and corporate innovation: Evidence from the Chinese market," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
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    JEL classification:

    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill

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