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What determines the speed of adjustment to the target capital structure?

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Author Info
Wolfgang Drobetz
Gabrielle Wanzenried
Abstract

A dynamic adjustment model and panel methodology are used to investigate the determinants of a time varying target capital structure. Because firms may temporarily deviate from their target capital structure in the presence of adjustment costs, the adjustment process is also endogenized. Specifically, we analyse the impact of firm-specific characteristics as well as macroeconomic factors on the speed of adjustment to the target debt ratio. The sample comprises a panel of 90 Swiss firms over the years from 1991 to 2001. We document that faster growing firms and those that are further away from their optimal capital structure adjust more readily. The results also reveal interesting interrelations between the adjustment speed and well-known business cycle variables. Most important, the speed of adjustment is higher when the term spread is higher and when economic prospects are good.

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Article provided by Taylor and Francis Journals in its journal Applied Financial Economics.

Volume (Year): 16 (2006)
Issue (Month): 13 (September)
Pages: 941-958
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Handle: RePEc:taf:apfiec:v:16:y:2006:i:13:p:941-958

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  1. Banerjee, Saugata & Heshmati, Almas & Wihlborg, Clas, 1999. "The Dynamics of Capital Structure," Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 333, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 12 May 2000.
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  4. Arturo Estrella & Gikas A. Hardouvelis, 1989. "The term structure as a predictor of real economic activity," Research Paper 8907, Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
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  5. Raghuram G. Rajan & Luigi Zingales, 1994. "What Do We Know About Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data," NBER Working Papers 4875, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  6. Heshmati, Almas, 2001. "The Dynamics of Capital Structure: Evidence from Swedish Micro and Small Firms," Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 0440, Stockholm School of Economics.
  7. Fischer, Edwin O & Heinkel, Robert & Zechner, Josef, 1989. " Dynamic Capital Structure Choice: Theory and Tests," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 44(1), pages 19-40, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  9. de Miguel, Alberto & Pindado, Julio, 2001. "Determinants of capital structure: new evidence from Spanish panel data," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 7(1), pages 77-99, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  11. Baker, Malcolm & Greenwood, Robin & Wurgler, Jeffrey, 2003. "The maturity of debt issues and predictable variation in bond returns," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 261-291, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Brian J. Henderson & Narasimhan Jegadeesh & Michael S. Weisbach, 2004. "World Markets for Raising New Capital," NBER Working Papers 10225, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Steven M. Fazzari & R. Glenn Hubbard & Bruce C. Petersen, 1988. "Financing Constraints and Corporate Investment," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 19(1988-1), pages 141-206. [Downloadable!]
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  14. Ferson, Wayne E & Harvey, Campbell R, 1993. "The Risk and Predictability of International Equity Returns," Review of Financial Studies, Oxford University Press for Society for Financial Studies, vol. 6(3), pages 527-66. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Sanford J. Grossman & Oliver D. Hart, 1982. "Corporate Financial Structure and Managerial Incentives," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Information and Uncertainty, pages 107-140 National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!]
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  1. José López-Gracia & Francisco Sogorb-Mira, 2008. "Testing trade-off and pecking order theories financing SMEs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 31(2), pages 117-136, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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