Capital structure choices
by Ted Lindblom, Gert Sandahl, Stefan Sjogren
International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance (IJBAAF), Vol. 3, No. 1, 2011

Abstract: Corporate finance theory provides a number of competing hypotheses for explaining the capital structure choice of firms. The major ones are the 'trade-off' theory, which hypothesises an optimal combination of debt and equity capital, and the 'pecking-order' theory, which suggests a ranking order between different types of capital making a firm's capital structure an aggregated result of successive financial decisions. Previous studies find evidence both supporting and contradicting the two theories. We examine the role and importance of different firm characteristics as well as to what extent managers in Swedish firms make capital structure choices in accordance with the theories and are affected by concepts like optimal capital structure, financial hierarchy, windows of opportunity, signalling, asymmetric information and flexibility. Our conclusion is that capital structure choices are built on a balancing notion suggesting a revised trade-off theory or alternatively an extended pecking order theory also incorporating agency costs and signalling.

Online publication date: Tue, 30-Sep-2014

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Banking, Accounting and Finance (IJBAAF):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

    Username:        Password:         

Forgotten your password?


Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com