Does derivatives use reduce the cost of equity?

Ahmed, Shamim and Judge, Amrit and Mahmud, Syed Ehsan (2018) Does derivatives use reduce the cost of equity? International Review of Financial Analysis, 60. pp. 1-16.

[img]
Preview
Text
Cost of Equity_Manuscript_FINANA_2018_321_R11.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (345kB)

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of hedging on the cost of equity capital. Using hand-collected data on derivatives use for a sample of German non-financial firms, we find that user firms have a 109 basis point lower industry-adjusted cost of equity than non-users. This reduction in the cost of equity of users is attributable to their lower market, size, and value risk factor exposures. The observed negative relation between derivatives use and the cost of equity remains robust to specifications that account for potential endogeneity arising from a firm's derivatives hedging and capital structure decisions. We find that the reduction in the cost of equity is largest for smaller firms and for firms making use of foreign currency and interest rate derivatives. Moreover, new derivatives users experience a significant reduction in the cost of equity in the first year of adoption. Finally, using expected default frequency data, we show direct evidence that firms' derivatives use reduces financial distress risk.

Item Type: Article
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.irfa.2018.09.004
Dates:
DateEvent
5 September 2018Accepted
13 September 2018Published
Uncontrolled Keywords: Derivatives, Risk management, Asset pricing, Financial distress risk.
Subjects: CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-02 - business studies
CAH17 - business and management > CAH17-01 - business and management > CAH17-01-07 - finance
Divisions: Faculty of Business, Law and Social Sciences > Birmingham City Business School
Depositing User: Bruce Philp
Date Deposited: 02 Dec 2018 18:43
Last Modified: 22 Mar 2023 11:49
URI: https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/6652

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Research

In this section...