Nexus Between Inventory Volatility and Capital Investment: Evidence from Selected Asian Economies

The uncertainty regarding inventory may impart dynamic impacts on corporate-level financial decisions. Among others, a decision about capital investment is a crucial decision that requires overall financial stability. Following these theoretical notions, the current study aims to identify possible consequences of inventory volatility relating to corporate capital investment decisions. We employed ten years of data (2010–2019) of non-financial sector firms to achieve the objective. The Driscoll-Kraay model was used to quantify the regression. The statistical results imply that inventory volatility negatively influences capital investment decisions due to information asymmetry about the current financial position. Additionally, more volatility brings discrepancies in managers’ investing decisions to fulfill the possible demand options of capital investment that require processing the inventory. However, based upon the statistical findings, it is suggested to corporate managers that they should consider the financial sensitivity of enterprises regarding inventory volatility. Thus, the current study introduces new thoughts regarding inventory volatility and its empirical role in determining capital investment.