Financial Constraints and Growth: Multinational and Local Firm Responses to Currency Depreciations

Posted: 15 Dec 2008

See all articles by Mihir A. Desai

Mihir A. Desai

Harvard Business School - Finance Unit; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

C. Fritz Foley

Harvard University - Business School (HBS); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Kristin J. Forbes

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: November 2008

Abstract

This article examines how financial constraints and product market exposures determine the response of multinational and local firms to sharp depreciations. U.S. multinational affiliates increase sales, assets, and investment significantly more than local firms during, and subsequent to, depreciations. Differing product market exposures do not explain these differences in performance. Instead, a differential ability to circumvent financial constraints is a significant determinant of the observed differences in investment responses. Multinational affiliates also access parent equity when local firms are most constrained. These results indicate another role for foreign direct investment in emerging markets-multinational affiliates expand economic activity during currency crises when local firms are most constrained.

Keywords: F23, F31, G15, G31, G32

Suggested Citation

Desai, Mihir A. and Foley, C. Fritz and Forbes, Kristin J., Financial Constraints and Growth: Multinational and Local Firm Responses to Currency Depreciations (November 2008). The Review of Financial Studies, Vol. 21, Issue 6, pp. 2857-2888, 2008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1315605 or http://dx.doi.org/hhm017

Mihir A. Desai (Contact Author)

Harvard Business School - Finance Unit ( email )

Boston, MA 02163
United States
617-495-6693 (Phone)
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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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C. Fritz Foley

Harvard University - Business School (HBS) ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Kristin J. Forbes

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - Sloan School of Management ( email )

Room E62-416
Cambridge, MA 02142
United States
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HOME PAGE: http://web.mit.edu/kjforbes/www

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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United States

Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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United Kingdom

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