Financial Constraints, Uses of Funds and Firm Growth: and International Comparison

by Vojislav Maksimovi?, Asl? Demirgüç-Kunt
Financial Constraints, Uses of Funds and Firm Growth: and International Comparison
Author: Vojislav Maksimovi?, Asl? Demirgüç-Kunt
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 54
Release: 1999
Genre:
ISBN:
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October 1996 The findings suggest that across very different financial systems, financial markets and intermediaries have a comparative advantage in funding short-term investment. An active, though not necessarily large, stock market and high scores on an index of respect for legal norms are associated with faster than predicted rates of firm growth. Government subsidies to industry do not increase the proportion of firms growing faster than predicted. Demirgüç-Kunt and Maksimovic focus on two issues. First, they examine whether firms in different countries finance long-term and short-term investment similarly. Second, they investigate whether differences in financial systems and legal institutions across countries are reflected in the ability of firms to grow faster than they might have by relying on their internal resources or short-term borrowing. Across their sample, they find: * Positive correlations between investment in plant and equipment and retained earnings. * Negative correlations between investment in plant and equipment and external financing. * Negative correlations between investment in short-term assets and retained earnings. * Positive correlations between investment in short-term assets and external financing. These findings suggest that across very different financial systems, financial markets and intermediaries have a comparative advantage in funding short-term investment. For each firm in their sample, they estimate a predicted rate at which it can grow if it does not rely on long-term external financing. They show that the proportion of firms that grow faster than the predicted rate in each country is associated with specific features of the legal system, financial markets, and institutions. An active, though not necessarily large, stock market and high scores on an index of respect for legal norms are associated with faster than predicted rates of firm growth. They present evidence that the law-and-order index measures the ability of creditors and debtors to enter into long-term contracts. Government subsidies to industry do not increase the proportion of firms growing faster than predicted. This paper - a product of the Finance and Private Sector Development Division, Policy Research Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to understand the impact of financial constraints on firm growth.

Financial Constraints, Uses of Funds and Firm Growth

by Vojislav Maksimovic
Financial Constraints, Uses of Funds and Firm Growth
Author: Vojislav Maksimovic
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2005
Genre:
ISBN:
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In this paper we focus on two issues. First, we examine whether firms in a thirty country sample finance long-term and short-term investment similarly. Second, we investigate whether perceived differences in the efficiency of the legal systems and in financial institutions across countries are reflected in the ability of firms to obtain external financing and grow at rates greater than they could attain by relying on their internal resources or short-term borrowing. Across our sample, we find positive correlations between investment in plant and equipment and retained earnings, and negative correlations between investment in plant and equipment and external financing. We find negative correlations between investment in short-term assets and retained earnings, and positive correlations between investment in short-term assets and external financing. The findings suggest that across different legal and financial systems, financial markets and intermediaries have a comparative advantage in funding short-term investment. For each firm our sample we estimate a predicted rate at which it can grow if it does not rely on long-term external financing. We show that the proportion of firms that grow at rates exceeding this predicted rate in each country is associated with specific features of the legal system, financial markets and institutions. In countries whose legal systems score high on the efficiency index a greater proportion of firms use long-term external financing, in particular, long-term debt. An active, though not necessarily large, stock market and a large banking sector are also associated with externally financed firm growth. In our sample government subsidies to industry to not increase the proportion of firms growing at rates that exceed the predicted rate.

Financial Constraints, Uses of Funds, and Firm Growth

by Vojislav Maksimovic
Financial Constraints, Uses of Funds, and Firm Growth
Author: Vojislav Maksimovic
Publisher:
Total Pages: 54
Release: 2016
Genre:
ISBN:
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The findings suggest that across very different financial systems, financial markets and intermediaries have a comparative advantage in funding short-term investment. An active, though not necessarily large, stock market and high scores on an index of respect for legal norms are associated with faster than predicted rates of firm growth. Government subsidies to industry do not increase the proportion of firms growing faster than predicted.Demirguc-Kunt and Maksimovic focus on two issues. First, they examine whether firms in different countries finance long-term and short-term investment similarly. Second, they investigate whether differences in financial systems and legal institutions across countries are reflected in the ability of firms to grow faster than they might have by relying on their internal resources or short-term borrowing.Across their sample, they find:- Positive correlations between investment in plant and equipment and retained earnings.- Negative correlations between investment in plant and equipment and external financing.- Negative correlations between investment in short-term assets and retained earnings.- Positive correlations between investment in short-term assets and external financing.These findings suggest that across very different financial systems, financial markets and intermediaries have a comparative advantage in funding short-term investment.For each firm in their sample, they estimate a predicted rate at which it can grow if it does not rely on long-term external financing. They show that the proportion of firms that grow faster than the predicted rate in each country is associated with specific features of the legal system, financial markets, and institutions.An active, though not necessarily large, stock market and high scores on an index of respect for legal norms are associated with faster than predicted rates of firm growth.They present evidence that the law-and-order index measures the ability of creditors and debtors to enter into long-term contracts. Government subsidies to industry do not increase the proportion of firms growing faster than predicted.This paper - a product of the Finance and Private Sector Development Division, Policy Research Department - is part of a larger effort in the department to understand the impact of financial constraints on firm growth.

formal versus informal finance: evidence from china

by Vojislav Maksimovic
formal versus informal finance: evidence from china
Author: Vojislav Maksimovic
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 77
Release: 2008
Genre: Access to Finance
ISBN:
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Abstract: China is often mentioned as a counterexample to the findings in the finance and growth literature since, despite the weaknesses in its banking system, it is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The fast growth of Chinese private sector firms is taken as evidence that it is alternative financing and governance mechanisms that support China's growth. This paper takes a closer look at firm financing patterns and growth using a database of 2,400 Chinese firms. The authors find that a relatively small percentage of firms in the sample utilize formal bank finance with a much greater reliance on informal sources. However, the results suggest that despite its weaknesses, financing from the formal financial system is associated with faster firm growth, whereas fund raising from alternative channels is not. Using a selection model, the authors find no evidence that these results arise because of the selection of firms that have access to the formal financial system. Although firms report bank corruption, there is no evidence that it significantly affects the allocation of credit or the performance of firms that receive the credit. The findings suggest that the role of reputation and relationship based financing and governance mechanisms in financing the fastest growing firms in China is likely to be overestimated.

Access to Financial Services

by Stijn Claessens
Access to Financial Services
Author: Stijn Claessens
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 38
Release: 2005
Genre: Financial services industry
ISBN:
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"This paper reviews the evidence on the importance of finance for economic well-being, provides data on the degree of use of basic financial services by households and firms across a sample of countries, assesses the desirability of more universal access, and overviews the macroeconomic, legal, and regulatory obstacles to access using general evidence and case studies. Although access to finance can be very beneficial, the data show that universal use is far from prevalent in many countries, especially developing countries. At the same time, universal access has generally not been a public policy objective and is surely not easily achievable in most countries.

How important are financing constraints? : the role of finance in the business environment

by Meghana Ayyagari
How important are financing constraints? : the role of finance in the business environment
Author: Meghana Ayyagari
Publisher: World Bank Publications
Total Pages: 59
Release: 2006
Genre: Business enterprises
ISBN:
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What role does the business environment play in promoting and restraining firm growth? Recent literature points to a number of factors as obstacles to growth. Inefficient functioning of financial markets, inadequate security and enforcement of property rights, poor provision of infrastructure, inefficient regulation and taxation, and broader governance features such as corruption and macroeconomic stability are discussed without any comparative evidence on their ordering. In this paper, the authors use firm level survey data to present evidence on the relative importance of different features of the business environment. They find that although firms report many obstacles to growth, not all the obstacles are equally constraining. Some affect firm growth only indirectly through their influence on other obstacles, or not at all. Using Directed Acyclic Graph methodology as well as regressions, the authors find that only obstacles related to finance, crime, and political instability directly affect the growth rate of firms. Robustness tests further show that the finance result is the most robust of the three. These results have important policy implications for the priority of reform efforts. They show that maintaining political stability, keeping crime under control, and undertaking financial sector reforms to relax financing constraints are likely to be the most effective routes to promote firm growth.

The Oxford Handbook of Africa and Economics

by Célestin Monga
The Oxford Handbook of Africa and Economics
Author: Célestin Monga
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1125
Release: 2015-07-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0191510742
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A popular myth about the travails of Africa holds that the continent's long history of poor economic performance reflects the inability of its leaders and policymakers to fulfill the long list of preconditions to be met before sustained growth can be achieved. These conditions are said to vary from the necessary quantity and quality of physical and human capital to the appropriate institutions and business environments. While intellectually charming and often elegantly formulated, that conventional wisdom is actually contradicted by historical evidence and common sense. It also suggests a form of intellectual mimicry that posits a unique path to prosperity for all countries regardless of their level of development and economic structure. In fact, the argument underlining that reasoning is tautological, and the policy prescriptions derived from it are fatally teleological: low-income countries are by definition those where such ingredients are missing. None of today's high-income countries started its growth process with the "required" and complete list of growth ingredients. Unless one truly believes that the continent of Africa-and most developing countries-are ruled predominantly if not exclusively by plutocrats with a high propensity for sadomasochism, the conventional view must be re-examined, debated, and questioned. This volume-the second of the ^lOxford Handbook of Africa and Economics-reassesses the economic policies and practices observed across the continent since independence. It offers a collection of analyses by some of the leading economists and development thinkers of our time, and reflects a wide range of perspectives and viewpoints. Africa's emergence as a potential economic powerhouse in the years and decades ahead amply justifies the scope and ambition of the book.