Abstract
We use financial data on poorly performing firms in Hong Kong to examine the motives behind paying out cash dividends when they suffer an earnings decline. We test three hypotheses behind the cash dividend policy: the maturity hypothesis, the free cash flow hypothesis, and the self-interest hypothesis of directors (i.e., the cash channeling hypothesis of directors). The findings are largely consistent with the maturity hypothesis and the free cash flow hypothesis but do not support the cash channeling hypothesis, confirming good market transparency and governance of the Hong Kong market.
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies |
| Volume | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2008 |
Keywords
- cash dividends
- corporate governance
- maturity
- poor earnings
Disciplines
- Business