The Effect of APR Violations on the Seniority and Timing of Debt Issuance

45 Pages Posted: 21 Mar 2007

See all articles by Arturo Bris

Arturo Bris

IMD International; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI); Yale University - International Center for Finance

Ronald Sverdlove

New Jersey Institute of Technology, School of Management

S. Abraham Ravid

Yeshiva University - Syms School of Business

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: March 14, 2007

Abstract

We present a model that shows how interactions between creditor groups in bankruptcy can affect the debt issuance decisions of firms. In particular, we show that firms that issue debt with a specific seniority level may tend to keep issuing debt at the same level to avoid the costs of conflicts in bankruptcy. Our model also has predictions as to what types of firms may change seniority level in sequential issues. We also find that as bankruptcy costs increase, firms will tend to issue more junior debt. The empirical implications of our model are consistent with the somewhat surprising fact that most firms issue debt at one seniority level only, and quite a few of them cluster at the senior subordinated level. We also find that companies that issue subordinated debt are much smaller than those which issue senior debt, while those that issue at both levels are intermediate on most financial measures. These empirical regularities are broadly consistent with our theoretical analysis. Our model is also supported by the fact that companies that issue only senior debt pay lower spreads than companies that issue at both levels.

Keywords: Bankruptcy, Absolute Priority Rule, Senioriy, Debt

JEL Classification: G33

Suggested Citation

Bris, Arturo and Sverdlove, Ronald and Ravid, S. Abraham, The Effect of APR Violations on the Seniority and Timing of Debt Issuance (March 14, 2007). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=971810 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.971810

Arturo Bris

IMD International ( email )

Ch. de Bellerive 23
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CH-1001 Lausanne
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European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
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1000 Brussels
Belgium

HOME PAGE: http://www.ecgi.org

Yale University - International Center for Finance ( email )

Box 208200
New Haven, CT 06520
United States

Ronald Sverdlove (Contact Author)

New Jersey Institute of Technology, School of Management ( email )

United States
973-596-8569 (Phone)

S. Abraham Ravid

Yeshiva University - Syms School of Business ( email )

United States

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