The cash flow sensitivity of cash in family firms: does the board of directors matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 1364-1380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Assil Guizani ◽  
Faten Lakhal ◽  
Nadia Lakhal
Keyword(s):  
Board Of Directors ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Family Control ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
French Family

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the effect of French family control on the cash flow sensitivity of cash (CFSC). It also investigates the moderating effect of board of directors’ features on this relation. Design/methodology/approach Based on a sample of French-listed companies from 2012 to 2014, the authors use GLS regression models on panel data estimated with robust standard errors, clustered at the firm level. Findings The results show that family control is positively associated with the CFSC. This finding suggests that families are likely to hold more cash out of their cash flows for entrenchment and expropriation purposes. A further analysis shows that board size, independence and the two-tier board structure negatively affect the CFSC in family firms. Board efficiency is then a guarantee of minority shareholders’ interests against family expropriation risks in France. Research limitations/implications These findings suggest that French family firms are likely to expropriate minority interests by extracting rents through their cash holding behavior. However, in the presence of high-quality board features, the relation turns negative, suggesting that the quality of the board is an efficient corporate governance device that is likely to monitor family corporate decisions. Originality/value This paper extends previous research by investigating the moderating effect of board features on the relation between family control and the CFSC. The research provides a metric for agency problems that is the sensitivity of cash to cash flows and offers theoretical support for the agency argument of hoarding cash.

Debt holdings and investment cash flow sensitivity of listed firms

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 943-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johnson Worlanyo Ahiadorme ◽  
Agyapomaa Gyeke-Dako ◽  
Joshua Yindenaba Abor
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Empirical Modeling ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivities ◽  
Internal Funds

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of debt holdings on the sensitivity of firms’ investment to availability of internal funds. Design/methodology/approach For a panel data set of 27 Ghanaian listed firms for the period 2007–2013, the paper applies the Euler equation approach to the empirical modeling of investment. Findings The study finds support for the assertion that listed firms face less severe corporate control problems and lower financing constraints, and thus, have lower investment cash flow sensitivities. The study also finds that a significant positive sensitivity of investment to internal funds is associated with firms that have high debt holdings. Practical implications An implication of this study is that firms with high debt holdings face greater challenges in accessing external finance. These firms are likely to experience under-investment which at a macro level would translate into lower investments and economic growth for the country. Originality/value Empirical literature document that in the presence of market imperfections, investments of financially constrained firms become sensitive to the availability of internal finance. There are also contradictory evidences regarding the pattern of the observed investment cash flow sensitivity. This study examines the effect of debt holdings on the sensitivity of firms’ investment to availability of cash flow. This is yet to be empirically tested despite some theoretical explanations.

Corporate Sustainable Growth and the Financing of Innovation

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 43-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amani Kahloul ◽  
Ezzeddine Zouari
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Adjustment Costs ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Asymmetric Pattern ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivities ◽  
Flow Components ◽  
Transitory Component

R&D investments are a channel for growth, at the macro and micro levels. However, they are known to be characterized with high adjustment costs, therefore, it is generally admitted in the literature that firms try to smooth their R&D investments in face of shocks to internal finance, and the literature supposes that the observed investment – current cash-flow sensitivities are downward biased because R&D expenses are expected to respond to the permanent component of cash-flow but not to its transitory component. However, very few proofs, if at all, exist on the link between R&D and cash-flow components and its implications in terms of its contribution to the corporate sustainable growth. The authors decompose cash-flow into its permanent and transitory components and provide formal evidence that R&D- current cash-flow sensitivity is downward biased and that R&D- permanent cash-flow sensitivity better informs about the contribution of cash-flow to R&D smoothing, which shows a managerial commitment to sustainability. Unexpectedly, and in spite of the negligible observed sensitivities of R&D to the transitory component of cash-flow, the authors’ regressions reveal that these sensitivities have an asymmetric pattern: they are higher when cash-flow is expanding than when it is declining. This reveals a managerial preference for immediate growth, which jeopardizes sustainable growth, because of the risk of costly liquidation inherent to the reliance on the volatile transitory cash-flows.

The impact of macroeconomic condition on investment-cash flow sensitivity of Indian firms

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-42
Author(s):  
Gaurav Gupta ◽  
Jitendra Mahakud
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Economic Condition ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Group Affiliation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Macroeconomic Condition ◽  
Gdp Growth Rate ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of the macroeconomic condition on investment-cash flow sensitivity (ICFS) of Indian firms and examine whether the effect of macroeconomic condition on ICFS depends on the size and group affiliation of the firm. Design/methodology/approach An empirical investigation is conducted using a dynamic panel data model or more specifically system generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation technique. Findings Empirical findings postulate that the availability of cash flow influences the investment decisions which depicts that Indian manufacturing firms are internally as well as externally financially constrained. This study finds that good economic condition (period of high GDP growth rate) reduces the ICFS, although this effect is stronger for small-sized and standalone firms than the large-sized and business group affiliated firms. The authors find that macroeconomic condition has a positive and significant effect on investment decisions. Research limitations/implications This study has considered only the non-financial sector. The future research could explore the effect of macroeconomic condition on ICFS might be affected by firm other characteristics such as firm age and firm capital structure. Social implications The government should provide loan on the low rate to the small-sized firms and standalone firms because it is very difficult for these firms to finance their investment during the bad economic condition (period of low high GDP growth rate). Originality/value This study contributes to the existing literature by analyzing the impact of the macroeconomic condition on ICFS as well as investment decisions of the Indian manufacturing firms, which is an unexplored issue from an emerging market perspective. To the best of my knowledge, this is a first-ever study which explores the effect of macroeconomic condition on investment decisions with respect to business group affiliation and firm size.

scholarly journals Ownership Structure and Cash Flows As Determinants of Corporate Dividend Policy in Pakistan

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talat Afza ◽  
Hammad Hassan Mirza
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Dividend Policy ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Operating Cash Flow ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Individual Ownership

Dividend Policy is among the widely addressed topics in modern financial literature. The inconclusiveness of the theories on importance of dividend in determining firm’s value has made it one of the most debatable topics for the researchers (see for example, Ramcharan, 2001; Frankfurter et. al 2002; Al-Malkawi, 2007). The present study investigates the impact of firm specific characteristics on corporate dividend behavior in emerging economy of Pakistan. Three years data (2005-2007) of 100 companies listed at Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) has been analyzed using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. The results show that managerial and individual ownership, cash flow sensitivity, size and leverage are negatively whereas, operating cash-flow and profitability are positively related to cash dividend. Managerial ownership, individual ownership, operating cash flow and size are the most significant determinants of dividend behavior whereas, leverage and cash flow sensitivity do not contribute significantly in determining the level of corporate dividend payment in the firms studied in our sample. Estimated results are robust to alternative proxy of dividend behavior i.e. dividend intensity.

CSR, agency costs and investment-cash flow sensitivity: a mediated moderation analysis

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa Samet ◽  
Anis Jarboui
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Agency Costs ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediated Moderation ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Internal Funds ◽  
Investment Spending

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to document the relation between investment-cash flow sensitivity and a firm’s engagement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in European context. Specifically, this paper aims to empirically examine how CSR moderates the sensitivity between investment spending and firm internal funds. Design/methodology/approach The Euler equation technique approach is applied to test the sensitivity of investment to internally generated funds for a panel data set of 398 European companies listed in the STOXX Europe 600 during 2009-2014. Furthermore, a mediated moderation model is developed in order to examine the moderating role of CSR in the investment-cash flow sensitivity, as well as the mediating role of agency costs on the moderation effect of CSR. Findings The results show that CSR performance weakens the sensitivity of investment to internal funds; agency costs of free cash flow mediate the negative moderating effect of CSR on investment-cash flow sensitivity. Thus, this study demonstrates empirically that firms with socially responsible practices are better positioned to obtain financing in the capital markets through reducing market frictions as well as agency costs. Practical implications Firms are invited to engage more in CSR activities that reduce agency conflicts between management and shareholders. Originality/value The originality of this paper consists in proposing the establishment of both direct and indirect link between CSR and investment-cash flow sensitivity.

Financial constraints for investment in Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Lima Crisóstomo ◽  
Félix Javier López Iturriaga ◽  
Eleuterio Vallelado González
Keyword(s):  
Panel Data ◽  
Euler Equation ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Growth Opportunities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Investment Models

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to verify the existence of financial constraints for investment in Brazil, an emerging market with growing international visibility. Design/methodology/approach – Using panel data methodology and generalized method of moments (GMM), the paper estimates dynamic investment models based on the Euler equation and Tobin's q for a panel data set of 199 Brazilian non-financial firms for the time period 1995-2006. Findings – Results show that Brazilian firms face financial constraints since their investments depend on internally generated funds. Results are robust to different investment models based on the Euler equation, also controlling for growth opportunities. Significant investment-cash flow sensitivity has been found for the whole sample of firms. Subsamples of firms considered as under financial constraints, according to dividend payout and equity issuance policies, have higher investment-cash flow sensitivity. Investment-cash flow sensitivity of financially constrained firms in Brazil is higher than that in the UK and in Romania, a transition economy. Originality/value – The results extend empirical evidence of financial constraints in Brazil. The paper contributes to the literature by assessing the firms’ financial constraint status on an annual basis, and by using panel data methodology and GMM to estimate dynamic models of investment that take into account the proposals of the hierarchy of finance theory. In addition, the paper controls for growth opportunities. Capital market imperfections affect firm investment in Brazil and such effects are even stronger for financially constrained firms.

scholarly journals BNDES loans and the financial constraints of Brazilian publicly traded companies

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-582
Author(s):  
Walter Eclache da Silva ◽  
Eduardo Kayo ◽  
Roy Martelanc
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Financial Constraints ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Multiplier Effect ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Development Banks

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether companies that contracted loans from the Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) between 2002 and 2014 were able to invest more than companies that did not. The literature on financial constraints, particularly that based on the investment-cash flow sensitivity model, is among the most studied and controversial in the area of finance, and the discussion on the role of development banks is equally controversial. Design/methodology/approach The main econometric model of this study was based on the investment-cash flow sensitivity model, with the incorporation of a binary variable that captures the role of the BNDES. This model is applied to a sample of companies listed on the B3 from 2002 to 2014. Findings This study shows that loans from the BNDES amplify the effects of cash flow on investments, generating a kind of credit multiplier. An important role of development banks is to reduce the financial constraints typical of developing countries. Research limitations/implications The use of the cash flow sensitivity model in companies that contracted loans from the BNDES is a relevant instrument to test the effect of the BNDES on companies with financial constraints. Practical implications The contracting of BNDES loans by companies can affect both capital structure and cash generation, particularly in companies or years in which there was financial constraint. Social implications Due to the nature of the BNDES as a development bank, there are ramifications in terms of the generation of employment and income inherent to the mission of this type of institution. Knowing the multiplier effect on the cash flow potential of companies has a direct impact on their preservation, enabling them to maintain and expand the supply of jobs. Originality/value This study is the first to integrate two important areas of study. From the theoretical perspective, this study provides evidence on the relationship between the BNDES and company financial constraints that open new avenues of research. From the managerial point of view, the evidence of the multiplier effect is highly important for the management of the capital structure and cash flow of companies.

The Time-varying Cash Flow Sensitivity of Cash

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-34
Author(s):  
NyoNyo Aung Kyaw ◽  
Sijing Zong
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Cash Flows ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Financial Constraint ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Macroeconomic Conditions ◽  
Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Cash Flow Sensitivity ◽  
Using Data

By using data of US manufacturing companies, we revisit the cash flow sensitivity to cash in two sub-samples of 1993-2000 and 2000-2011 to investigate the time-varying features of the cash flow sensitivity of cash. Our results show a weakening coefficient of US manufacturing firms from 1990s to 2000s. The sensitivity in the later time period is only a half of its original scale. Financially unconstrained firms seem to converge with the constrained firms in the later period, leading to the conclusion that macroeconomic conditions impact more on the cash flow sensitivity of cash than the external financial constraint does. Further, our research identifies that the overall decreasing sensitivity is driven by firms with negative cash flows.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document