U.S. corporations do not use their debt and equity issuing and repurchasing activities to counteract the mechanistic effects of stock returns on their debt equity ratios. Thus, over 1–5 year horizons, stock returns can explain about 40% of debt ratio dynamics. Although corporate (net) issuing activity is lively, and although it can explain the remaining 60% of debt ratio dynamics (long-term debt issuing activity being most capital structure relevant), corporate issuing motives remain largely a mystery. When stock returns are accounted for, taxes, bankruptcy costs, and many other proxies used in the literature, play at best a very modest role in explaining capital structure.
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Brounen, D. & Jong, A. de & Koedijk, C.G., 2005.
"Capital Structure Policies in Europe: Survey Evidence,"
Research Paper
ERS-2005-005-F&A Revision, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus Uni.
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Erica X. N. Li & Dmitry Livdan & Lu Zhang, 2006.
"Optimal Market Timing,"
NBER Working Papers
12014, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
[Downloadable!] (restricted)