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Article
Publication date: 1 February 1990

Marjorie T. Stanley

The concept of a company's cost of capital is used in capital budgeting as a potential basic discount rate to be applied to expected future cash flows from a proposed investment…

Abstract

The concept of a company's cost of capital is used in capital budgeting as a potential basic discount rate to be applied to expected future cash flows from a proposed investment project being subjected to evaluation for acceptance or rejection. Discounted‐cash‐flow capital budgeting techniques derive from valuation theory that determines present value of expected future cash flows by discounting them down to the present at a discount rate appropriate to the degree of risk involved. Conceptually, this is true with regard to both domestic investment and foreign direct investment. However, there is recognition in the literature that capital budgeting for foreign direct investment decisions may involve complexities not present in the domestic case. These include economic, financial, and political factors, and related risks, e.g., foreign exchange risk, blocked currencies, expropriation. On the other hand, foreign direct investment is thought to provide diversification benefits, so that risks that are not domestically diversifiable are internationally diversifiable, thereby eliminating some otherwise systematic risk. Complexities such as these place a considerable burden upon the concept of cost of capital as a discount rate appropriately reflective of the degree of risk involved in a foreign direct investment project. Furthermore, cost of capital may be affected by environmental factors associated with what country the parent corporation calls “home” (Stonehill and Dullum).

Details

Managerial Finance, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4358

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1999

Charles Ward

This paper introduces the ways of estimating the cost of capital. It briefly reviews the main theories of capital structure before explaining how the use of fixed‐interest debt…

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Abstract

This paper introduces the ways of estimating the cost of capital. It briefly reviews the main theories of capital structure before explaining how the use of fixed‐interest debt finance might affect the cost of capital. It then considers ways of estimating the cost of equity and finally brings results together. Two final issues are considered: how the cost of capital can be used to appraise projects like the ones the firm is already undertaking; and how it can be used to consider projects that lie outside the normal range of business activities of the firm.

Details

Journal of Corporate Real Estate, vol. 1 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-001X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 January 2024

Randy Priem and Andrea Gabellone

This article aims to analyse the relationship between the environmental, social and governance (ESG) score and the cost of capital of 600 large, mid and small capitalization…

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to analyse the relationship between the environmental, social and governance (ESG) score and the cost of capital of 600 large, mid and small capitalization companies across 17 countries that are component of the EURO STOXX 600 Index. By examining whether ESG has an impact on the cost of capital, this article contributes to the solutions to improve the impact of organizations and societies on sustainable development. The article further examines whether the effect is because of the environmental, social and/or governance components. In addition, the article analyses which WACC component (i.e. the cost of equity, the cost of debt, the beta or the leverage ratio) is affected. Furthermore, this article analyses whether a high ESG score can substitute for a weaker legal environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The results were obtained by using ordinary least squares panel data modelling to analyse the relationship between the ESG score and the cost of capital. The sample consists of companies that are part of the STOXX Europe 600 Index over the period 2018–2021, which is composed of 600 companies, including large, mid and small capitalization firms listed across 17 countries. The sample finally includes 1,960 firm-year observations.

Findings

Companies with a higher ESG score tend to have a lower cost of capital, but this relationship holds only for firms domiciled in countries with a weaker legal environment. In addition, these firms should not only increase their ESG score to create a more sustainable environment but also to reduce their cost of debt. Environmental and social factors have a significantly negative impact on the cost of capital only in countries with a weaker legal environment, while the governance component positively impacts the cost of capital by allowing firms to borrow more.

Research limitations/implications

There is not yet a standardized taxonomy to define ESG, making the study dependent on commercial data providers.

Practical implications

The new insights can be used by companies domiciled in countries with weaker legal environments to reduce their cost of capital. The results also allow us to know on which components of the ESG score to focus. It can also help policymakers, specifically those in countries with a weaker legal environment, to provide incentives to further stimulate ESG investments and disclosure, thereby contributing to a more sustainable society.

Social implications

To achieve the sustainable development goals put forward by the United Nations, it is important for firms to invest in ESG projects. It is nevertheless insightful to know whether these ESG investments, which are currently observed as a cost, also provide benefits to firms and in which countries. If firms clearly see the advantages of investing in ESG projects, they are likely to proactively engage in them.

Originality/value

This article is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to focus on 17 European countries, thereby capturing divergent legal environments. This setting allows us to answer the main novel research question, namely, whether the ESG score can act as a substitute for the legal environment in which the company is domiciled. The article also goes further than previous articles by examining whether the effect is because of the environmental, social and/or governance component and whether these impact the components of the weighted cost of capital, namely, the cost of equity, the cost of debt, the beta or the leverage ratio of the companies.

Details

Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8021

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2024

Muhammad Nurul Houqe, Habib Zaman Khan, Olayinka Moses and Arun Elias

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of corporate reputation (hereafter CR) and the degree of economic development on firms’ cost of capital remains unresolved. This…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of corporate reputation (hereafter CR) and the degree of economic development on firms’ cost of capital remains unresolved. This study addresses these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a global sample across 20 countries, the study investigates the discrete and joint effects of CR and jurisdictional economic development on the cost of equity (COE) and cost of debt (COD) capital. The analysis encompasses a dual data set, comprising 1,308 observations for COE and 1,223 observations for COD, allowing for a comprehensive exploration of these dynamics.

Findings

The findings indicate that CR leads to a reduction in the cost of capital for reputable firms. Nevertheless, the extent of this decrease varies per type of capital and firm’s reputation level and is contingent upon the economic development level within the firm’s jurisdiction. Particularly noteworthy is the moderating effect of economic development on CR, which shows that COE capital tends to be lower for reputable firms operating in economically developed jurisdictions. Albeit, this is not the case for COD capital for reputable firms in similarly developed jurisdictions.

Practical implications

This study illustrates that effective CR management, aimed at reducing the cost of capital, necessitates a combination of the firm’s unique competitive advantage and the economic development context of its jurisdiction to truly achieve its intended goal.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first global study to explore the impact of CR on both COE and COD capital. Furthermore, this study is primarily towards understanding the moderating role of economic development in the relationship between CR and cost of capital.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Public-Private Partnerships, Capital Infrastructure Project Investments and Infrastructure Finance
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-654-9

Book part
Publication date: 13 December 2004

Robert Kee

Product mix and the acquisition of the assets needed for their production are interdependent decisions. However, these decisions are frequently evaluated independently of each…

Abstract

Product mix and the acquisition of the assets needed for their production are interdependent decisions. However, these decisions are frequently evaluated independently of each other and with conceptually different decision models. This article expands activity-based costing (ABC) to incorporate the cost of capital. The resulting model traces the cost of capital to products and thereby measures the economic value added (EVA) from their production. The discounted value of a product’s EVA over its life is equivalent to its net present value (Hartman, 2000; Shrieves & Wachowicz, 2001). The discounted EVA of a product also equals the net present value of the assets used to manufacture the product. Consequently, evaluating products with an ABC model incorporating the cost of capital enables product mix and capital budgeting decisions to be evaluated simultaneously. The article also examines the role of ABC when product mix decisions are made at the product and portfolio levels of the firm’s operations.

Details

Advances in Management Accounting
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-139-2

Abstract

Details

Public-Private Partnerships, Capital Infrastructure Project Investments and Infrastructure Finance
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-654-9

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1998

MIECZYSLAW DOBIJA

Progress in human resources accounting must continue to find a clear constructive definition of terms pertaining to human capital and human assets. The present paper is comprised…

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Abstract

Progress in human resources accounting must continue to find a clear constructive definition of terms pertaining to human capital and human assets. The present paper is comprised of considerations leading to the proposal of more general definitions of capital that involve human capital. As a complement to Fisher's concept of capital measurement, the present definition explains capital based on the capitalization process. Capitalization should be viewed as an essential attribute of capital. Human resources accounting (HRA) can benefit from improvements in the definition of certain terms related to human capital. Of particular importance is a proposal of a more general definition of capital. The definition leads to an alternative measure,which is more useful in the HRA field than the Lev‐Schwartz model. The proposed measure compliments Fisher's concept of capital measurement and utilizes a compound interest approach. Capital is perceived as a value of economic means capitalized in physical and human resources. The rate of capitalization is determined through natural and social conditions of the environment. The mode of capital measurement results from the above definitions. Moreover, the measure of human capital appears as a generalization of the historical cost concept. The valuation model of human capital involves capitalized costs of living, costs of professional education and value of experience measured by a slightly modified learning curve. Having human capital redefined and measured in these terms, we can introduce human resources into the balance sheet using a set of relevant journal entries.

Details

Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1401-338X

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2023

Cynthia Weiyi Cai

In the presence of “real effects” of disclosure in a production economy, this research aims to investigate the link between disclosure and cost of capital relating to different…

Abstract

Purpose

In the presence of “real effects” of disclosure in a production economy, this research aims to investigate the link between disclosure and cost of capital relating to different time periods: namely the post-disclosure cost of capital (the cost of capital subsequent to disclosure), the pre-disclosure cost of capital (the cost of capital for the period leading up to disclosure) and the overall cost of capital (the cost of capital across both periods). The author also extends the analysis to whether and how in the presence of a real effect of disclosure, investors' ex ante welfare might be affected.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is conducted via stylized models.

Findings

The author demonstrates that, first, in contrast to findings in a pure-exchange economy, in a production-based economy where disclosure affects firms' investment decisions, both the overall cost of capital and the investors' ex ante welfare can be affected by disclosure quality. As disclosure quality improves, the post-disclosure cost of capital may either increase or decrease, as may the pre-disclosure cost of capital. The change in the post-disclosure cost of capital is not fully offset by the change in the pre-disclosure cost of capital, and therefore the overall cost of capital can either increase or decrease. Second, a firm's profitability of existing and new production are critical factors in determining whether cost of capital increases or decreases with disclosure quality. The author characterizes conditions under which higher disclosure quality increases or decreases the disclosing firm's cost of capital over different time periods. Third, when disclosure affects interrelated firms' production decisions, the disclosing firm's overall cost of capital changes with disclosure quality, even when the marginal (unconditional) distribution of the disclosing firm's cash flow is not affected by the disclosure.

Originality/value

This research contributes to a largely unexplored but important area: the real effect of disclosure on the cost of capital.

Details

Journal of Accounting Literature, vol. 45 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-4607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2010

Naveed Iqbal Chaudhry and Muhammad Azam Roomi

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the impact of human capital development in organizations. It is based on some conceptual aspects of human resource accounting…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically the impact of human capital development in organizations. It is based on some conceptual aspects of human resource accounting and considers how investments in the development of human capital can be measured in order to investigate the financial returns for organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is exploratory in nature as this is the first of its kind in the Pakistani manufacturing sector. The technique of convenience sampling was used to collect the data due to time and resource limitations. The sample comprises of 30 leading companies in the Pakistani textile sector. A self‐administered postal questionnaire was designed for the research survey. The results focus on the benefits derived by using the capital investment appraisal techniques of human resource accounting including: return on investment, benefit to cost ratio, weighted average cost of capital, and bottom line evaluations.

Findings

The results provide evidence of an association between investment in the development of human capital and the benefits, which organizations can reap from such investments. It further finds that the organizations investing in training and development programs provide high employee productivity that ultimately contributes towards high‐organizational performance.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the research design, the results may exhibit a lack of generalizability to other sectors. As the results cannot be applied to other organizations, further research can be done by using the same techniques.

Originality/value

This paper is a groundbreaking work in Pakistan and thereby an addition to the existing global literature on human resource accounting. This research provides new directions for the literature in this area, by encouraging a debate about the importance of investing in the development of human capital.

Details

Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1401-338X

Keywords

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