Existence of an Industrial Optimal Level of Cash Holdings for KOSPI-Listed Firms in the Korean Capital Market

This study investigated one of the contemporary financial issues that is still being debated among governmental policy makers, corporate managers, and investors in the domestic capital market. We attempted to identify the most optimal level of cash holdings for firms during the most updated fiscal years (from 2011 to 2015). The study utilized empirical methodologies, such as ANCOVA and RANCOVA, with respect to the 'inter-' and 'intra-industry' analyses for KOSPI-listed firms. Regarding the first hypothesis testing for inter-industry influence, we revealed with statistical significance that there were differences; however, there were only 3 pronounced industries among the 25 industries sampled in this study. Regarding the second hypothesis, only a few (i.e. two) industries showed no statistically significant intra-industry influence. Based on our results, most KOSPI-listed firms still seem to be searching for their optimal levels of cash reserves. Hence, we can anticipate that the value maximization as a corporate goal can be achieved after adjusting the current levels of their cash holdings according to the optimal points.