Being private, Big 4 auditors, and debt raising

Wen Hua Sharpe, Peter Carey and Hong Feng Zhang

Accounting and Finance, 2023, vol. 63, issue 2, 2295-2345

Abstract: This study investigates the role of auditor choice (Big 4/Non‐Big 4) in debt financing for private and public firms. We find private firms have less access to debt than public firms, and Big 4 auditors support debt raising in both private and public firms. Consistent with private firms facing greater information asymmetry, Big 4 auditors are more important for debt raising in private firms than in public firms. The benefit of appointing Big 4 auditors for private firms' debt raising is greater in the opaque information environment of the global financial crisis. It is also greater when firms are smaller, younger, or have poorer financial reporting quality. We also find evidence consistent with Big 4 auditors mitigating agency conflicts and enhancing debt raising when ownership concentration is higher in private firms.

Date: 2023
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