Variables Used in the Loan Contract Term/Perfect Foresight Analysis
Misreporting Variables
MISPER An indicator variable equal to 1 if the bank loan is initiated during the misreporting period, and 0 if the
bank loan is initiated before the inception of misreporting.
Firm-Specific Variables
LEVERAGE The sum of long-term debt and debt in current liabilities divided by total assets.
PROFITABILITY EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) divided by total assets.
FIRMSIZE The amount of total assets in millions.
SIZE The natural logarithm of total assets.
GROWTH The growth of total sales measured in percentage.
MTB The market value of equity divided by book value of common shareholders’ equity.
ALTMANZ Altman’s Z-score, calculated as 4.34 þ 0.08 3 working capital/total assets 0.04 3 retained earnings/
total assets þ 0.1 3 earnings before interest and taxes/total assets þ 0.22 3 market value of equity/
book value of total liabilities 0.06 3 sales/total assets for manufacturing firms following Hillegeist
et al. (2004), and 6.56 3 working capital/total assets þ 3.26 3 retained earnings/total assets þ 6.72
3 earnings before interest and taxes/total assets þ 1.05 3 book value of equity/book value of total
liabilities for non-manufacturing firms following Altman (2000).
CFVOLAT