Abstract
We examine the impact of internal control weaknesses (ICWs) on firms’ financing choices and how firms alter their financing behavior after the mandated disclosure of ICWs. We find that, before disclosure, ICW firms tend to seek external financing more than non-ICW firms do and are more likely to use equity financing as opposed to debt. After the disclosure, however, ICW and non-ICW firms exhibit similar financing preferences. In exploring the motivations for equity financing, we find that ICW firms are more prone than non-ICW firms to use the equity proceeds to fund investments and that this penchant disappears post-disclosure. The overall evidence indicates that ICW disclosure alters the information environment and managerial incentives, which has significant impact on firms’ financing decisions.
Introduction
Information asymmetry and agency conflicts between managers and outside investors are two primary market frictions that affect financiers’ decisions to supply capital to a firm (Jensen & Meckling, 1976; Myers & Majluf, 1984). Given that corporate disclosure plays a critical role in mitigating information asymmetry and agency problems, a large body of literature examines how managers utilize voluntary disclosure strategically in anticipation of external financing activities to influence investors’ perception of firm performance and governance (see, for example, Frankel, McNichols, & Wilson, 1995; Lang & Lundholm, 2000).
Conclusion
We examine the impact of ICWs on firms’ financing choices and whether and how firms alter their financing choices after the mandated disclosure of ICWs. We find that ICW firms are more likely to seek external financing than non-ICW firms before disclosing their ICWs but, post-disclosure, become similar in respect of external financing. This suggests that the previously documented increases in the cost of capital suppress ICW firms’ proclivity for external capital rather than make external financing difficult. More importantly, we find that, pre-disclosure, ICW firms are more likely than non-ICW firms to use equity financing as opposed to debt and that this propensity vanishes post-disclosure.
