Analyzing the Effect of Dividends on Default Probability According to Signaling and Agency Theories

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph. D Candidate, Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Associate Prof., Department of Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

3 Assistant Prof., Department of Mathematics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, Iran.

Abstract

Objective
The probability of default is one factor that determines the cost of capital due to its role in credit risk. Dividend as a sign of cash flow or as a sign of ownership of wealth is one of the factors affecting the probability of default. There are two theories of dividend signaling theory and agency theory regarding the effect of dividends on credit risk. The cash profit signaling theory expresses the management’s confidence in the company’s future cash flows and causes market participants to calculate the company’s assets as high and the company’s asset volatility as low, thus reducing information asymmetry, it causes the probability of default calculated by market decreases and there is a negative relationship between dividend and estimated default probability. Conversely, agency theory posits that cash dividends decrease the company’s assets and increase the debt ratio, and this increases the risk of debtholders and the acquisition of their wealth by shareholders, and the conflict of interests between shareholders and debtholders. Therefore, it causes a positive relationship between dividends and estimated default probability. This article aims to examine the relationship between dividends and the probability of default, exploring its alignment with both dividends signaling theory and agency theory.
 
 
 
Methods
In this article, Geske’s method, which is an extension of Merton’s method, is used to calculate the probability of default. Subsequently, an unbalanced nonlinear regression is applied to investigate the quadratic relationship between cash interest and the probability of default during the years 2001-2021. The statistical population comprises companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange and the Iran Farabourse, with the exclusion of financial companies, those with more than six months of consecutive trading suspension, and those that have experienced trading suspension for more than twenty percent of their market lifespan. Ultimately, 462 companies meet these criteria and are included in the study.
 
Results
The findings suggest a quadratic U-shaped nonlinear relationship between dividends and the probability of default. Initially, as dividends increase, the probability of default decreases with a diminishing slope. However, beyond a certain threshold of dividend increase, the probability of default starts to rise with an increasing slope.
 
Conclusion
According to the theory of dividend signaling, as dividends increase up to a certain threshold, the company's future earnings outlook is positively evaluated. The market, in turn, assesses the company's assets at a higher value with lower asset volatility. This positive assessment, attributed to the reduction of information asymmetry, leads to a decrease in the market's estimated probability of default. Once the dividend surpasses this threshold, it becomes advantageous for shareholders. This is due to a reduction in the company's assets, an elevation in the debt ratio, an increased risk for debtholders, and the potential transfer of the company's assets, ultimately leading to the appropriation of wealth from debtholders by shareholders. Therefore, the probability of default increases, which is in accordance with the empirical findings of the quadratic U-shaped relationship between dividend and the probability of default.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

 
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Financial Research Journal
Volume 26, Issue 1
2024
Pages 26-53

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