Using governance metrics based on antitakeover provisions and inside ownership, we find that firms with weaker
corporate governance structures actually have smaller cash reserves. When distributing cash to shareholders, firms with
weaker governance structures choose to repurchase instead of increasing dividends, avoiding future payout commitments.
The combination of excess cash and weak shareholder rights leads to increases in capital expenditures and acquisitions.
Firms with low shareholder rights and excess cash have lower profitability and valuations. However, there is only limited
evidence that the presence of excess cash alters the overall relation between governance and profitability. In the US, weakly
controlled managers choose to spend cash quickly on acquisitions and capital expenditures, rather than hoard it.
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