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The Corporate Finance of Multinational Firms

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  • Isil Erel
  • Yeejin Jang
  • Michael S. Weisbach

Abstract

An increasing fraction of firms worldwide operate in multiple countries. We study the costs and benefits of being multinational in firms’ corporate financial decisions and survey the related academic evidence. We document that, among U.S. publicly traded firms, the prevalence of multinationals is approximately the same as domestic firms, using classification schemes relying on both income-based and a sales-based metrics. Outside the U.S., the fraction is lower but has been growing. Multinational firms are exposed to additional risks beyond those facing domestic firms coming from political factors and exchange rates. However, they are likely to benefit from diversification of cash flows and flexibility in capital sources. We show that multinational firms, indeed, have a better access to foreign capital markets and a lower cost of debt than otherwise identical domestic firms, but the evidence on the cost of equity is mixed.

Suggested Citation

  • Isil Erel & Yeejin Jang & Michael S. Weisbach, 2020. "The Corporate Finance of Multinational Firms," NBER Working Papers 26762, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:26762
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    3. Biguri, Kizkitza & Stahl, Jörg R., 2020. "Who Pays a Visit to Brussels? The Firm Value of Cross-Border Political Access to European Commissioners," LawFin Working Paper Series 9, Goethe University, Center for Advanced Studies on the Foundations of Law and Finance (LawFin).
    4. Hennicke, Moritz & Blanga-Gubbay, Michael, 2023. "Betting on the Wrong Horse: Lobbying on TPP and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election," OSF Preprints zcwsn, Center for Open Science.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General
    • 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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