Risk Management and Firm Value: Evidence from Weather Derivatives

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Perez-Gonzalez, Francisco; Yun, Hayong
• 署名单位: Stanford University; National Bureau of Economic Research; Michigan State University; Michigan State University's Broad College of Business
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF FINANCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-1082
• DOI: 10.1111/jofi.12061
• 发表日期: 2013
• 页码: 2143-2176
• 关键词: agency costs; corporate; speculation; MARKETS; finance; demand; hedge; OIL

摘要

This paper shows that active risk management policies lead to an increase in firm value. To identify the effect of hedging and to overcome endogeneity concerns, we exploit the introduction of weather derivatives as an exogenous shock to firms' ability to hedge weather risks. This innovation disproportionately benefits weather-sensitive firms, irrespective of their future investment opportunities. Using this natural experiment and data from energy firms, we find that derivatives lead to higher valuations, investments, and leverage. Overall, our results demonstrate that risk management has real consequences on firm outcomes.