The impact of institutional factors on corporate mechanism of cash adjustment – New evidence from emerging Asia

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how the business environment of a country has an impact on cash management policies of the firms and also to investigate if there is any asymmetry in cash adjustment dynamics when a firm deviates from its long-term target of cash holdings.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of seven emerging Asian countries in the period 2001–2019, the authors investigate the role of country specific variables in the corporate cash holdings and their cash adjustment mechanism. They use the panel data regression method to estimate the results.FindingsThe authors find that the overall financial development of a country has a significant impact on corporate cash holdings and cash adjustment dynamics. When a firm has excess cash, the speed of adjustment towards the target is faster as compared to when it has deficit cash holdings. Further, when a firm holds excess cash, it adjusts towards the target using cash from investments; in case of deficit cash holdings, the adjustment happens via cash from financing activities.Practical implicationsThe results of the study are helpful to corporate managers as these are important references to them to understand and design cash management policies by considering factors that are measured at the country level. It also provides them a clearer understanding about the role of corporate board and information asymmetry in cash holdings.Originality/valueThis is the first study which examines the role of country-specific variables on corporate cash holdings and their adjustment mechanism of firms in emerging Asia. Further, the study extends the literature by providing new evidence that there is asymmetry in cash adjustment dynamics of firms after controlling for the overall financial development of a country.

Cash Holdings and Corporate Governance

This chapter investigates the empirical factors affecting corporate cash holdings with special emphasis on corporate governance variables for a sample of Turkish-listed nonfinancial firms over the period 2006 to 2010. The findings reveal a significant non-linear relation between family ownership and cash holdings. In addition, while board structure does not significantly affect the level of cash holdings, tunneling increases cash reserves of firms. Furthermore, the results indicate that cash flow, leverage, other liquid assets that can be used as cash substitutes, the degree of tangibility of assets, and firm size are important in determining cash holdings among Turkish companies.

Does corporate social responsibility transparency mitigate corporate cash holdings?

PurposeThis article aims to explore whether a firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) transparency alleviates a firm's cash holdings.Design/methodology/approachCSR transparency ratings encompass both the quantity and the quality of CSR practices, as validated by Bloomberg. While based upon firm-specific disclosure, transparency ratings impound additional information gathered independently by Bloomberg and thus bridge the gap between CSR disclosure and CSR performance. The authors use ordinary least squares estimators, and the authors concentrate on a panel of S&P 500 index companies over the period of 2012–2018 to examine the effect of CSR transparency on corporate cash holdings.FindingsThe authors document that a higher level of CSR transparency induces a lower level of corporate cash holdings. Additional results imply that this negative relationship is more pronounced for firms suffering from high information asymmetry, with low financial reporting quality and for those with weak governance. Further analyses document that higher CSR transparency can help firms to enjoy lower cost of debt and to be less financially constrained, enabling high CSR transparent firms to obtain external financing more easily and at a lower cost, thus lowering the need to hoard cash. Ultimately, the study findings suggest that CSR transparency increases the market value relevance of an additional dollar in cash holdings.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to both research streams of CSR and corporate cash holdings as they provide evidence about the influence of CSR transparency as a monitoring and insurance-like mechanism on corporate cash holdings.

Corporate Social Responsibility and the Value of Cash Holdings: Evidence from the Korean Stock Market

This study examines the impact of a company’s performance in terms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on investors’ perceptions of corporate cash holdings in South Korea. The study postulates that, in emerging markets, such as South Korea, companies’ CSR activities are often implemented strategically by the management. In emerging economies, companies’ cash holdings are not subject to strict regulation of external capital providers. Hence, companies raise cash easily and manage cash holdings at their discretion, often resulting in agency problems between the management and shareholders. The study’s results reveal that capital market investors negatively perceive the cash holdings of companies actively engaged in CSR. Investors do not expect the cash held by such companies to increase their corporate value. In other words, companies may use internal funds rather than debt for financing CSR activities.

COVID-19 IS DEADLY! LONG LIVE THE KING, CORPORATE CASH HOLDINGS!

Covid-19 has adversely affected the human race. With human race confined to their houses, the level of consumption has gone down and it has significant negative impact on the cash flows of the existing businesses. In this study, using different scenarios and stress level, we try to predict the impact on businesses cash flows and establish the role of corporate cash holdings in avoiding illiquidity of businesses.