Determinants of Firm Investment
The determinants of Firm Investment have been extensively studied by the authors. The study looked at firms in four different countries: Moldova, Romania, Russia, and Serbia. Results showed that profitability had a positive impact on firm investment in Moldova, Romania, and Russia. Only the Serbian and Russian firms exhibited a positive effect of cash holdings on firm investment. This finding supports the view that higher firms are more likely to increase their investments as a result of their larger size.
Financial leverage also negatively affects firm investment. The relationship between financial leverage and firm investment is significant for high-information-asymmetric firms, but not for low-growth firms. However, in underdeveloped countries, financial leverage does not affect firm investment. The findings suggest that a lack of access to equity capital may discourage private investment in smaller firms. Increasing access to debt financing would be a better option for underdeveloped countries. Moreover, a more stable economy would be more likely to have a stable economic environment, allowing for more stable firms.
Although the relationship between financial leverage and firm investment is significant for small firms, this relationship is weaker for firms with low information asymmetry. Furthermore, in countries with less developed financial systems, private firms are more likely to finance their misvaluation-induced investments with debt. As a result, a firm’s value may not be sufficiently high to offset the high level of leverage. Even in such cases, a low-growth firm should still invest in debt.
Despite these results, firms in underdeveloped countries do not significantly receive government funding. While the government and development banks often provide financing to larger firms, this is not the case for small businesses. The legal and financial systems of these countries are not adequate to compensate for the underdeveloped financial and legal systems of the small firms. Alternative sources of finance are the only way for small firms to grow. This makes the relationship between finance and growth more complicated. A firm that uses trade credit is more likely to be successful.
As a result of the study, financial leverage is significantly related to firm investment. In fact, the relationship is stronger for large, highly information-asymmetric firms than for smaller ones. This is consistent with the findings of the literature. The study also found that the relationship between financial leverage and firm growth was stronger for low-growth firms than for high-growth firms. This research provides new insight into the factors that determine whether a company should invest in a particular country.
In a previous study, the study also found that financial leverage is negatively related to firm investment. In addition, it showed that firms in underdeveloped countries are less likely to obtain government funds than those in developed countries. The findings were not surprising because the government funding is more likely to go to larger firms. This study also shows that finance is not necessary in developing countries. A firm that lacks access to capital will have a hard time surviving in that country.
