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Capital Market Development, International Integration, Legal Systems, and the Value of Corporate Diversification: A Cross-Country Analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

Larry Fauver ,
Joel Houston  and
Andy Naranjo
Larry Fauver
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Miami, Department of Finance, PO Box 248094, Coral Gables, FL 33124;
Joel Houston
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Florida, Warrington College of Business, Department of Finance, PO Box 117168, Gainesville, FL 32611.
Andy Naranjo
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Florida, Warrington College of Business, Department of Finance, PO Box 117168, Gainesville, FL 32611.
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Abstract

Using a database of more than 8,000 companies from 35 countries, we find that the value of corporate diversification is related to the level of capital market development, international integration, and legal systems. Our results suggest that the financial, legal, and regulatory environments each have an important influence on the value of diversification. Moreover, the optimal organizational structure and corporate governance may be very different for firms operating in emerging markets than they are for firms operating in more developed and internationally integrated countries.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis , Volume 38 , Issue 1 , March 2003 , pp. 135 - 158
Copyright
Copyright © School of Business Administration, University of Washington 2003

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