Illiquidity and Under-Valuation of Firms
43 Pages Posted: 27 Jan 2010
There are 2 versions of this paper
Illiquidity and Under-Valuation of Firms
Illiquidity and Under-Valuation of Firms
Date Written: December 2009
Abstract
We study a competitive model in which market incompleteness implies that debt-financed firms may default in some states of nature and default may lead to the sale of the firms’ assets at fire sale prices when markets are illiquid. This incompleteness is the only friction in the model and the only cost of default. The anticipation of such losses alone may distort firms’ investment decisions. We characterize the conditions under which fire sales occur in equilibrium and their consequences on firms’ investment decisions. We also show that endogenous financial crises may arise in this environment, with asset prices collapsing as a result of pure self-fulfilling beliefs. Finally, we examine alternative interventions to restore the efficiency of equilibria.
Keywords: illiquid markets, default, incomplete markets, price distortions, inefficient investment
JEL Classification: D50, D80, G10, G33
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation