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Abstract(s)
Past literature on capital structure has demonstrated that firms’ financing decisions play a
crucial role in their performance and longevity. Accordingly, researchers have often
addressed this subject to understand why firms opt for either debt or equity financing. Most
research suggests that capital structure is predominantly determined by two elements: the
firms’ internal and external characteristics. In this study, we investigate the possible impact
of the quality of financial information that has been frequently neglected. Since financial
reports are the principal basis for most financial decisions, their quality and information
heavily influence capital structure choices. However, some managers have been known to
resort to earnings management practices during times of financial hardship, to conceal
difficulties and maintain a facade of growth and stability for stakeholders. Such practices
compromise the quality of financial information, possibly hindering financial decisions.
Therefore, this study aims to investigate the potential impact of financial reporting quality
on firms’ capital structure. Our hypothesis is tested using an unbalanced panel sample of 414
firms from four European stock exchanges between 2013 and 2022. To evaluate capital
structure, we employ total and maturity debt ratios, based on book and market values, to
achieve a more comprehensive result. Financial reporting quality is also evaluated through
multiple proxies, such as accruals quality, smoothness, timeliness, and accounting
conservatism. Our empirical regressions were estimated through the fixed effects and the
OLS models. The global analysis revealed mixed findings, with three variables of financial
reporting quality exhibiting a positive impact on debt (accruals quality, smoothness, and
accounting conservatism), while the remaining proxy presented a negative impact
(timeliness). Further analysis also indicates that companies affected by Troika policies
experienced a contrasting effect of timeliness on debt, while the other firms displayed results
consistent with the global analysis. Moreover, both firm-specific and macroeconomic factors
exhibited substantial statistical significance in influencing debt in all the estimated models.
These conclusions broaden our knowledge on factors that define capital structure, as well as
the relevance of financial reporting.
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Keywords
Capital structure Financial reporting quality Listed companies European countries Troika