Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/195258 
Year of Publication: 
2017
Citation: 
[Journal:] SERIEs - Journal of the Spanish Economic Association [ISSN:] 1869-4195 [Volume:] 8 [Issue:] 3 [Publisher:] Springer [Place:] Heidelberg [Year:] 2017 [Pages:] 261-285
Publisher: 
Springer, Heidelberg
Abstract: 
This paper investigates whether the market level of information asymmetry affects firms' debt financing decisions. Using a sample of non-financial listed firms and a composite index based on microstructure measures of information asymmetry, we find that firms with more information asymmetry use shorter debt maturities. In addition, we find that these firms face more difficulties to access public debt and bank debt (particularly, short-term bank debt), and they have to rely on trade credit as an alternative source of short-term financing. Analyzing the associations in two subsamples based on firm size, we find that our results essentially driven by smaller companies, which are those affected by higher information asymmetries. Our findings support the information asymmetry theories of trade credit: as information asymmetry increases and, consequently, listed firms face more constraints in the credit markets, they increase the use of financing provided by their suppliers.
Subjects: 
Information asymmetry
Market microstructure
Short-term debt
Bank debt
Accounts payable
Trade credit
JEL: 
G14
G32
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
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Document Type: 
Article

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