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Managerial entrenchment, equity payout and capital structure

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  • Wang, Hao

Abstract

I develop a contingent claims model to examine the impacts of managerial entrenchment on capital structure and security valuation. The analysis shows that managers' self-interested leverage choices deviate significantly from the optimal leverages that maximize firm values, partially explaining the suboptimal leverage ratios observed empirically (Graham, 2000). Both the extent and sensitivity of the deviations are affected by firm characteristics, debt features and default solutions. The shareholder-manager conflicts over risk level and cash payout vary dynamically with a firm's financial health. Managerial entrenchment does not mitigate the agency problems of debt since managers' discretionary decisions on milking properties or asset substitution could be driven by incentives to increase their own utility.

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  • Wang, Hao, 2011. "Managerial entrenchment, equity payout and capital structure," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 36-50, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbfina:v:35:y:2011:i:1:p:36-50
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    Cited by:

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    2. Huang, Guan-Ying & Huang, Henry H. & Lee, Chun I, 2019. "Is CEO pay disparity relevant to seasoned bondholders?," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 271-289.
    3. Meng, Rujing & Ning, Xiangdong & Zhou, Xianming & Zhu, Hongquan, 2011. "Do ESOPs enhance firm performance? Evidence from China's reform experiment," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(6), pages 1541-1551, June.
    4. repec:jle:journl:170 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Miao, Senlin & Wen, Fenghua & Zhang, Yun, 2022. "Industry tournament incentives and the speed of leverage adjustments: Evidence from China," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).

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