Investigating of the Moderating Effect of Political Connections on the Relationship between Financial Constraints and Financial Distress Risk with Abnormal Return

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of political connections on financial constraints and financial distress risk, as well as the effect of political connections on the relationship between financial constraint and financial distress risk with the abnormal return of accepted firms in Tehran Stock Exchange. The statistical sample includes 162 accepted firms in Tehran Stock Exchange between 1391-1397. In this study, a multivariate linear regression model is used. The results show that political connections have a negative and significant effect on financial constraints and financial distress risk. Also, it amplifies the intensity of the negative relationship between the financial constraint and the abnormal return. The firms that are suffering from a financial constraint, and at the same time, benefit from political connections have less abnormal returns than non-politically connected firms which are suffering from a financial constraint. Furthermore, it changes the direction of the relationship between financial distress risk and abnormal return from negative to positive. In other words, firms that are suffering from financial distress with political connections have more abnormal returns than non-politically connected firms which are suffering from financial distress.

Keywords

• keywords: political connections
• financial constraint
• financial distress risk
• abnormal return