Panel Data Analysis of Determinants of Leverage in the Automobile Industry in India

The study tries to investigate the key determinants of capital structure of leading automobile companies and the Automobile Industry in India. The study also tracks the theory implications, i.e. trade off vs. pecking order in these firms and the industry in general. An attempt is to see, if individually each sample company and the whole industry are influenced by the same determinants of capital structure. Pooled ordinary least squares and panel data econometric techniques such as fixed effect models are used to investigate the most significant determinants that affect the capital structure choice of 10 leading companies categorized as BSE Auto Top 100 and the Automobile Industry as a whole for a period of 14 years from 2000–2001 to 2013–2014. The study reveals some interesting facts and results. Multiple regression analysis reveals that while profitability and size are significant determinants in most of the leading companies; NDTS, Growth, and Debt service coverage ratio are not significant for these companies. While the Panel data results of the Automobile Industry as a whole reveals that profitability is the only significant determinant having negative relationship with debt equity ratio; and the other variables are insignificant. Also individual companies coefficient results shows implications of mix of pecking order and trade off theories while the panel data results of the whole Industry strongly supports the Pecking order theory.