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Free Cash Flow and Managerial Entrenchment: A Continuous-Time Stochastic Control-Theoretic Model

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Author Info
Abel Cadenillas (University of Alberta)
Steven Clark (University of North Carolina at Charlotte)
Abstract

In this paper, we formulate a model prescribing optimal policy for cash disbursements and seasoned equity offerings taking into account the principal-agent problems inherent in these decisions. In order to discipline managers, stockholders demand that excess free cash flow be disbursed either as cash dividends or through stock repurchases. Managers resist stockholders in this regard since they prefer to retain excess free cash flow in order to pursue personal interests and reduce the probability that the company will experience financial distress in the future. However, as a consequence of withholding cash disbursements, managers incur disutility due to the possibility that their control of the firm could be threatened by the market for corporate control. We model this situation as a stochastic impulse control problem, and succeed in finding an analytical solution. We derive several testable implications, some of which have not been fully addressed in the corporate finance literature.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Berkeley Electronic Press in its journal Contributions to Theoretical Economics.

Volume (Year): 7 (2007)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 1264-1264
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Handle: RePEc:bep:thecon:v:7:y:2007:i:1:p:1264-1264

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Related research
Keywords: cash disbursements seasoned equity offerings stochastic impulse controls

Find related papers by JEL classification:
C61 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Mathematical Methods and Programming - - - Optimization Techniques; Programming Models; Dynamic Analysis

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Teoh, Siew Hong & Welch, Ivo & Wong, T. J., 1998. "Earnings management and the underperformance of seasoned equity offerings1," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 63-99, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Dann, Larry Y. & Masulis, Ronald W. & Mayers, David, 1991. "Repurchase tender offers and earnings information," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 14(3), pages 217-251, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Cadenillas, Abel & Zapatero, Fernando, 1999. "Optimal Central Bank Intervention in the Foreign Exchange Market," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 218-242, July. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Lie, Erik, 2000. "Excess Funds and Agency Problems: An Empirical Study of Incremental Cash Disbursements," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 13(1), pages 219-47.
  5. Jagannathan, Murali & Stephens, Clifford P. & Weisbach, Michael S., 2000. "Financial flexibility and the choice between dividends and stock repurchases," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 57(3), pages 355-384, September. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 2001. "Disappearing dividends: changing firm characteristics or lower propensity to pay?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 3-43, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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