The impact of financial deleveraging on investment efficiency of listed real estate firms in Vietnam
Published: August 10, 2026
Abstract
This study examines the impact of financial deleveraging on investment efficiency of 38 listed real estate firms in Vietnam during 2015 - 2025. Investment efficiency is measured using the Richardson (2006) model. Using FGLS estimation, the results show that higher leverage increases inefficiency, while deleveraging improves overall investment efficiency. However, the effect is asymmetric: it strongly reduces overinvestment but does not improve, and may even worsen, underinvestment. These findings reflect credit tightening conditions and the passive nature of deleveraging processes in Vietnam.
Ahmad, M. M., Hunjra, A. I., & Taskin, D. (2023). Do asymmetric information and leverage affect investment decisions? The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, 87, 337-345.
2.
Aivazian, V. A., Ge, Y., & Qiu, J. (2005). The impact of leverage on firm investment: Canadian evidence. Journal of Corporate Finance, 11(1-2), 277-291.
3.
Biddle, G. C., Hilary, G., & Verdi, R. S. (2009). How does financial reporting quality relate to investment efficiency? Journal of Accounting and Economics, 48(2-3), 112-131.
4.
Chen, F., Hope, O.-K., Li, Q., & Wang, X. (2011). Financial reporting quality and investment efficiency of private firms in emerging markets. The Accounting Review, 86(4), 1255-1288.
5.
DeAngelo, H., Gonçalves, A. S., & Stulz, R. M. (2018). Corporate deleveraging and financial flexibility. The Review of Financial Studies, 31(8), 3122-3174.
6.
Firth, M., Lin, C., & Wong, S. M. L. (2008). Leverage and investment under a state-owned bank lending environment: Evidence from China. Journal of Corporate Finance, 14(5), 642-653.
7.
Jensen, M. C. (1986). Agency costs of free cash flow, corporate finance, and takeovers. American Economic Review, 76(2), 323-329.
8.
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure. Journal of Financial Economics, 3(4), 305-360.
9.
Kraus, A., & Litzenberger, R. H. (1973). A state-preference model of optimal financial leverage. The Journal of Finance, 28(4), 911-922.
10.
Lang, L., Ofek, E., & Stulz, R. M. (1996). Leverage, investment, and firm growth. Journal of Financial Economics, 40(1), 3-29.
11.
Lin, Y.-E., Teng, S., Cheng, T.-Y., Wang, Q., & Hu, C. (2024). The influence of deleveraging the excessive debt firms on investment efficiency. Economic Analysis and Policy, 84, 2130-2149.
12.
Ling, X., & Wu, W. (2022). Leverage and investment efficiency: Evidence from China's deleveraging policy. Finance Research Letters, 47, 102629.
13.
Ma, J., & Xie, X. (2025). Real estate policy regulation and corporate financial risk: China's Three Red Lines policy. Pacific Economic Review, forthcoming.
14.
Myers, S. C. (1977). Determinants of corporate borrowing. Journal of Financial Economics, 5(2), 147-175.
15.
Myers, S. C., & Majluf, N. S. (1984). Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have. Journal of Financial Economics, 13(2), 187-221.
16.
Nguyen, N. B. T., Ichihashi, M., & Kakinaka, M. (2019). The link between financial leverage and investment decisions in Vietnam's SMEs. Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, 29(4), 1090-1101.
17.
Phan, Q. T. (2018). Corporate debt and investment with financial constraints: Vietnamese listed firms. Research in International Business and Finance, 46, 268-280.
18.
Qiu, B., & Cheng, B. (2022). Is a deleveraging policy effective? Evidence from China. International Review of Economics and Finance, 77, 471-480.
19.
Rajan, R. G., & Zingales, L. (1995). What do we know about capital structure? The Journal of Finance, 50(5), 1421-1460.
20.
Richardson, S. (2006). Over-investment of free cash flow. Review of Accounting Studies, 11(2-3), 159-189.
21.
Vo, X. V. (2019). Leverage and corporate investment - Evidence from Vietnam. Finance Research Letters, 28, 1-5.
Zheng, X., Wang, Y., Lee, C. L., & Chiang, Y. H. (2025). Firm leverage and stock price crash risk. The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, 70(3), 478-518.
24.
Bùi, H. (2022). Vai trò của thị trường bất động sản trong nền kinh tế. Kinh tế Môi trường. Available at: https://kinhtemoitruong.vn/vai-tro-cua-thi-truong-bat-dong-san-trong-nen-kinh-te-67007.html