Oil price uncertainty and cash holdings: Evidence from China

Xiang Zhang, Zongyi Zhang and Han Zhou

Energy Economics, 2020, vol. 87, issue C

Abstract: This study investigates the impact of oil price uncertainty on the cash holdings of firms. Using a sample of the Chinese stock market for the period from 2007 to 2016, our empirical results show that the impact of oil price uncertainty on cash holdings exhibits an inverted U-shape. Cash holdings increase with oil price uncertainty, but after a point, this impact becomes negative. Moreover, we find that the effect of oil price uncertainty is mitigated as the market value of firms increases. Meanwhile, state-owned companies are less impacted by oil price uncertainty. The results are robust to various tests and alternative explanations. Our findings are consistent with real options theory and pecking order theory.

Keywords: Oil price uncertainty; Cash holdings; Chinese stock market; Nonlinear relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G31 G32 Q43 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (37)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eneeco:v:87:y:2020:i:c:s0140988320300712

DOI: 10.1016/j.eneco.2020.104732

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