Leverage and Investment Cash Flow Sensitivity: Evidence from Muscat Securities Market in Oman

Abstract

This article investigates the investment cash flow sensitivity (ICFS) and the effect of leverage on the firms’ ICFS by using data from 66 non-financial companies from Muscat Securities Market, Oman for a 7-year period from 2013 to 2019. We used a dynamic panel investment model based on the Euler equation approach and ran dynamic panel regressions using the dynamic panel system generalized method of moments (GMM). We run two regressions: first, testing the sensitivity of investment to the availability of the internal funds; second, testing the effect of firms’ leverage levels on the sensitivity of investment to cash flows. The results showed a significant sensitivity of investment to cash flows for the sample companies. The positive coefficient for the cash flow variable indicates the presence of financing constraints. The results showed that leverage has a significant effect on the ICFS of the companies, indicating that the companies with higher leverage have ICFS.