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Explaining Corporate Capital Structure: Product Markets, Leases, and Asset Similarity

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  • Joshua D. Rauh
  • Amir Sufi

Abstract

Better measurement of the output produced and capital employed by firms substantially improves the ability to explain capital structure variation in the cross section. For every firm, we construct the set of other firms producing the same output using the set of product market competitors listed in the firm's public Securities and Exchange Commission filings. In addition, we improve measurement of capital structure by explicitly accounting for leased capital. These two steps increase the explanatory power of the average capital structure of other firms producing similar output on a firm's capital structure by 50% compared to using only the average unadjusted debt ratio of other firms in the same three-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. We provide evidence that the large explanatory power of the capital structure of other firms producing similar output is related to the assets used in the production process. Our findings suggest that what a firm produces and the assets used in production are the most important determinants of capital structure in the cross section. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua D. Rauh & Amir Sufi, 2011. "Explaining Corporate Capital Structure: Product Markets, Leases, and Asset Similarity," Review of Finance, European Finance Association, vol. 16(1), pages 115-155.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:revfin:v:16:y:2011:i:1:p:115-155
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/rof/rfr023
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    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Boehm & Jan Sonntag, 2023. "Vertical Integration and Foreclosure: Evidence from Production Network Data," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(1), pages 141-161, January.
    2. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/44gofgf80399mp5fq5q50vv5t6 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Leonid Kogan & Dimitris Papanikolaou & Noah Stoffman, 2013. "Winners and Losers: Creative Destruction and the Stock Market," NBER Working Papers 18671, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Ram Yamarthy & Amir Yaron & Joao Gomes, 2015. "Carlstrom and Fuerst meets Epstein and Zin: The Asset Pricing Implications of Contracting Frictions," 2015 Meeting Papers 1267, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    5. Lin, Yu-En & Jiang, Xiao-Tong & Yu, Bo & Lam, Keith S.K., 2023. "Compensation peer crash risks and corporate own investments: New evidences from U.S. stock markets," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    6. He, Wen & Hu, Maggie Rong & Mi, Lin & Yu, Jin, 2021. "How stable are corporate capital structures? International evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/44gofgf80399mp5fq5q50vv5t6 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Orlova, Svetlana & Harper, Joel T. & Sun, Li, 2020. "Determinants of capital structure complexity," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 110(C).

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