Have Rating Agencies Become More Conservative? Implications for Capital Structure and Debt Pricing

Baghai, R, Servaes, H and Tamayo, A (2014) Have Rating Agencies Become More Conservative? Implications for Capital Structure and Debt Pricing. Journal of Finance, 69 (5). pp. 1961-2005. ISSN 0022-1082

Abstract

Rating agencies have become more conservative in assigning corporate credit ratings over the period 1985 to 2009; holding firm characteristics constant, average ratings have dropped by three notches. This change does not appear to be fully warranted because defaults have declined over this period. Firms affected more by conservatism issue less debt, have lower leverage, hold more cash, are less likely to obtain a debt rating, and experience lower growth. Their debt spreads are lower than those of unaffected firms with the same rating, which implies that the market partly undoes the impact of conservatism on debt prices. This evidence suggests that firms and capital markets do not perceive the increase in conservatism to be fully warranted.

More Details

[error in script]
Item Type: Article
Subject Areas: Finance
Additional Information:

© 2014 the American Finance Association

Date Deposited: 02 Mar 2016 18:51
Last Modified: 28 Mar 2024 02:42
URI: https://lbsresearch.london.edu/id/eprint/92
[error in script] More

Export and Share


Download

Full text not available from this repository.

Statistics

Altmetrics
View details on Dimensions' website

Downloads from LBS Research Online

View details

Actions (login required)

Edit Item Edit Item