Further Evidence on Debt-Equity Choice

Abstract

Using a large sample of 5,365 European firms,we document the driving factors of debt-equity choices. Adjustments to a target debt level play a modest role except when debt exceeds an upper barrier, a result that underlines the importance of debt capacity. Preference for internal financing, leverage deficit prior to equity issues, as well as a high level of slack of firms seeking to reduce equity constitute further evidence in favor of pecking order models. It is also found that managers try to time the market by issuing shares when returns are high, but that there is a link between financing and investment activities as predicted by agency models.Dynamic capital structure; Debt-equity choice; Tradeoff models; Pecking order models