IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijfss/v13y2025i3p173-d1747756.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Capital Structure Theories in US Corporate Divestitures: A Study on Spin-Off Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Xian Chen

    (Department of Accounting and Finance, Luter School of Business, Christopher Newport University, 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, VA 23606, USA)

  • Sanjib Guha

    (Department of Business, Accounting & Sports Management, Elizabeth City State University, 1704 Weeksville Rd., Elizabeth City, NC 27909, USA)

  • Tahsina Haque Simu

    (Department of Accounting, Finance & Economics, College of Business, Bowie State University, 14000 Jericho Park Road, Bowie, MD 20715, USA)

Abstract

Some giant US conglomerates are now undergoing corporate spin-offs or are considering such spin-offs in the near future. Corporate spin-offs offer a unique opportunity to assess corporate capital structure decisions. The leverage ratio of the spin-off firms represents their initial capital structure. We investigate the capital structure of corporate spin-offs and find evidence that they adhere to the trade-off theory. This study provides evidence that the subsidiary firms tend to aim for a target capital ratio during the sample period. The results indicate that the partial adjustment model with firm fixed effects is a good fit for the data sample. The parent companies in corporate spin-offs exhibit a similar pattern but with a slower adjustment speed. The tendency to target capital ratios is observable in both market value and book value leverage measures for the parent and subsidiary firms. Indicators of the pecking order assumption do not possess statistically significant coefficients. Changes in share price affect market debt ratios in the short term. With alternative definitions of leverage, the estimated adjustment speeds vary. In the case of longer horizons, the results align with a continuous rate of adjustment.

Suggested Citation

  • Xian Chen & Sanjib Guha & Tahsina Haque Simu, 2025. "Capital Structure Theories in US Corporate Divestitures: A Study on Spin-Off Firms," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-26, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:13:y:2025:i:3:p:173-:d:1747756
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/13/3/173/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7072/13/3/173/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chirinko, Robert S. & Singha, Anuja R., 2000. "Testing static tradeoff against pecking order models of capital structure: a critical comment," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 58(3), pages 417-425, December.
    2. Hovakimian, Armen & Opler, Tim & Titman, Sheridan, 2001. "The Debt-Equity Choice," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 36(1), pages 1-24, March.
    3. Robert Gertner & Eric Powers & David Scharfstein, 2002. "Learning about Internal Capital Markets from Corporate Spin‐offs," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 57(6), pages 2479-2506, December.
    4. Flannery, Mark J. & Rangan, Kasturi P., 2006. "Partial adjustment toward target capital structures," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 469-506, March.
    5. Vikas Mehrotra, 2003. "The Design of Financial Policies in Corporate Spin-offs," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 16(4), pages 1359-1388.
    6. Rajan, Raghuram G & Zingales, Luigi, 1995. "What Do We Know about Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 50(5), pages 1421-1460, December.
    7. Kenneth J. Kopecky & Zhichuan (Frank) Li & Timothy F. Sugrue & Alan L. Tucker, 2018. "Revisiting M&M with Taxes: An Alternative Equilibrating Process," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-12, January.
    8. Ilya A. Strebulaev, 2007. "Do Tests of Capital Structure Theory Mean What They Say?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 62(4), pages 1747-1787, August.
    9. Frank, Murray Z. & Goyal, Vidhan K., 2004. "The effect of market conditions on capital structure adjustment," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 47-55, March.
    10. Fu, Xiaoqing Maggie & Harrison, Richard T. & Li, Dongfu Franco, 2022. "Venture capital investment in university spin-offs: Evidence from an emerging economy," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    11. Frank, Murray Z. & Goyal, Vidhan K., 2003. "Testing the pecking order theory of capital structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 217-248, February.
    12. Ralf Elsas & Mark J. Flannery & Jon A. Garfinkel, 2014. "Financing Major Investments: Information about Capital Structure Decisions," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 18(4), pages 1341-1386.
    13. Cusatis, Patrick J. & Miles, James A. & Woolridge, J. Randall, 1993. "Restructuring through spinoffs*1: The stock market evidence," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 293-311, June.
    14. Korajczyk, Robert A. & Levy, Amnon, 2003. "Capital structure choice: macroeconomic conditions and financial constraints," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 75-109, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Devos, Erik & Rahman, Shofiqur & Tsang, Desmond, 2017. "Debt covenants and the speed of capital structure adjustment," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-18.
    2. Murray Z. Frank & Vidhan K. Goyal, 2009. "Capital Structure Decisions: Which Factors Are Reliably Important?," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 38(1), pages 1-37, March.
    3. Cook, Douglas O. & Fu, Xudong & Tang, Tian, 2016. "Are target leverage ratios stable? Investigating the impact of corporate asset restructuring," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 150-168.
    4. Saumitra, Bhaduri, 2012. "Why do firms issue equity? Some evidence from an emerging economy, India," MPRA Paper 38043, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Attaullah Shah & Jasir Ilyas, 2014. "Is Negative Profitability-Leverage Relation the only Support for the Pecking Order Theory in Case of Pakistani Firms?," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 53(1), pages 33-55.
    6. Viet Anh Dang, 2005. "Testing the Trade-off and Pecking Order Theory: Some UK Evidence," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2005 28, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
    7. Shofiqur Rahman, 2020. "Credit supply and capital structure adjustments," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 49(4), pages 949-972, December.
    8. Ruwani Fernando, Jayasuriya Mahapatabendige & Li, Leon & Hou, Greg, 2021. "Heterogeneity in capital structure adjustment revisited: Default versus non-default firms and short versus long time horizon," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 185-204.
    9. Byung-Chul Ju, 2024. "Capital Structure Dynamics: Evidence from the Korean Listing Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-22, May.
    10. Andres, Christian & Cumming, Douglas & Karabiber, Timur & Schweizer, Denis, 2014. "Do markets anticipate capital structure decisions? — Feedback effects in equity liquidity," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 133-156.
    11. Wenlian Gao & Feifei Zhu & Kai Chen, 2023. "The role of bank lenders in firm leverage adjustments," Journal of Financial Research, Southern Finance Association;Southwestern Finance Association, vol. 46(1), pages 63-97, February.
    12. Bolaji Tunde Matemilola & Rubi Ahmad, 2015. "Debt financing and importance of fixed assets and goodwill assets as collateral: dynamic panel evidence," Journal of Business Economics and Management, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 407-421, April.
    13. Allini, Alessandra & Rakha, Soliman & McMillan, David G. & Caldarelli, Adele, 2018. "Pecking order and market timing theory in emerging markets: The case of Egyptian firms," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 297-308.
    14. Chen, Dar-Hsin & Chen, Chun-Da & Chen, Jianguo & Huang, Yu-Fang, 2013. "Panel data analyses of the pecking order theory and the market timing theory of capital structure in Taiwan," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 1-13.
    15. Aflatooni, Abbas & Ghaderi, Kaveh & Mansouri, Kefsan, 2022. "Sanctions against Iran, political connections and speed of adjustment," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(PB).
    16. Snehal S Herwadkar, 2017. "Corporate leverage in EMEs: did the global financial crisis change the determinants?," BIS Working Papers 681, Bank for International Settlements.
    17. Rebel A. Cole, 2013. "What Do We Know about the Capital Structure of Privately Held US Firms? Evidence from the Surveys of Small Business Finance," Financial Management, Financial Management Association International, vol. 42(4), pages 777-813, December.
    18. Dudley, Evan, 2012. "Capital structure and large investment projects," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 18(5), pages 1168-1192.
    19. Peng Huang & Yue Lu & Robert Faff, 2021. "Social trust and the speed of corporate leverage adjustment: evidence from around the globe," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(2), pages 3261-3303, June.
    20. Leary, Mark T. & Roberts, Michael R., 2010. "The pecking order, debt capacity, and information asymmetry," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(3), pages 332-355, March.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijfss:v:13:y:2025:i:3:p:173-:d:1747756. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.