{"title":"Maturity mismatch and disinvestment as transmission mechanisms: Linking economic policy uncertainty to firm performance","authors":"Lifang Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.chieco.2025.102565","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since the beginning of the 21st century, the global economic and political landscape has become ever-changing, leading to rising economic policy uncertainty (EPU) in China. Utilizing indicators of macro EPU and firm perception of EPU, this study analyzes panel data from Chinese A-share listed firms (2007–2022) to investigate how EPU affects firm performance. The research findings demonstrate that EPU negatively affects firm performance primarily through maturity mismatch and disinvestment. Macro-level economic policy uncertainty shapes micro-level firm perceptions and strategic responses. Furthermore, the negative impact of EPU is more pronounced for firms operating in highly concentrated industries, as well as for risk-preferred firms, non-SOEs, cross-border firms during periods of Sino–US trade friction, and decline-stage firms. Lastly, this study recommends that government agencies prioritize continuity, predictability, and transparency in implementation of economic policies. To build resilience when EPU is rising, firms should leverage information-driven strategy, optimize debt–asset structure, and enhance competitiveness.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48285,"journal":{"name":"中国经济评论","volume":"94 ","pages":"Article 102565"},"PeriodicalIF":5.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"中国经济评论","FirstCategoryId":"96","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1043951X25002238","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ECONOMICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the global economic and political landscape has become ever-changing, leading to rising economic policy uncertainty (EPU) in China. Utilizing indicators of macro EPU and firm perception of EPU, this study analyzes panel data from Chinese A-share listed firms (2007–2022) to investigate how EPU affects firm performance. The research findings demonstrate that EPU negatively affects firm performance primarily through maturity mismatch and disinvestment. Macro-level economic policy uncertainty shapes micro-level firm perceptions and strategic responses. Furthermore, the negative impact of EPU is more pronounced for firms operating in highly concentrated industries, as well as for risk-preferred firms, non-SOEs, cross-border firms during periods of Sino–US trade friction, and decline-stage firms. Lastly, this study recommends that government agencies prioritize continuity, predictability, and transparency in implementation of economic policies. To build resilience when EPU is rising, firms should leverage information-driven strategy, optimize debt–asset structure, and enhance competitiveness.
期刊介绍:
The China Economic Review publishes original works of scholarship which add to the knowledge of the economy of China and to economies as a discipline. We seek, in particular, papers dealing with policy, performance and institutional change. Empirical papers normally use a formal model, a data set, and standard statistical techniques. Submissions are subjected to double-blind peer review.