Intellectual Capital and Financing Decisions: Evidence from the U.S. Patent Data

33 Pages Posted: 12 Mar 2009

See all articles by Qiao Liu

Qiao Liu

Peking University - Guanghua School of Management

Kit Pong Wong

University of Hong Kong

Date Written: March 12, 2009

Abstract

This paper develops a real options model of capital structure to understand two distinct roles played by intellectual capital in corporate financing decisions. First, intellectual capital limits a firm's debt capacity because of its low liquidation value. Second, intellectual capital enhances a firm's debt capacity through its positive impact on the earnings dynamics. We show that the former is dominated by the latter within our model so that intellectual capital positively affects leverage as measured by market leverage, book leverage, and interest coverage ratios. Using three patent-based variables as proxies for intellectual capital, we find robust evidence that a positive relationship between a firm's intellectual capital and its leverage ratio prevails. The effect of intellectual capital on leverage is also economically significant. Specifically, a one-standard-deviation-increase in the level of a firm's intellectual capital increase its market leverage ratio by 11.7-27.3% from the sample mean level (22.2%). We further find that the positive relationship between intellectual capital and leverage is much stronger for high-tech firms than for non-high tech firms. Finally, we document evidence that an increase in intellectual capital leads to an increase in firm leverage over time.

Keywords: capital structure, intellectual capital, patent-based metrics, bankruptcy

JEL Classification: G32, G33

Suggested Citation

Liu, Qiao and Wong, Keith Kit Pong, Intellectual Capital and Financing Decisions: Evidence from the U.S. Patent Data (March 12, 2009). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1358366 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1358366

Qiao Liu (Contact Author)

Peking University - Guanghua School of Management ( email )

Peking University
Beijing, Beijing 100871
China

Keith Kit Pong Wong

University of Hong Kong ( email )

Faculty of Business and Economics
University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong, Nil Nil
Hong Kong
(852) 2859-1044 (Phone)
(852) 2548-1152 (Fax)

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