The Dynamics of Investment, Payout and Debt
58 Pages Posted: 21 Oct 2014 Last revised: 29 Jan 2017
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The Dynamics of Investment, Payout and Debt
The Dynamics of Investment, Payout and Debt
Date Written: January 26, 2017
Abstract
We develop a dynamic agency model of a public corporation. Managers underinvest because of risk aversion. They smooth rents and payout. They do not exploit interest tax shields fully. The interactions of investment, debt and payout decisions can change drastically depending on managers' preferences. Managers with power utility set investment, debt and payout proportional to the firm's net worth, generating a constant (possibly negative) net debt ratio. With exponential utility, investment decisions are separated from decisions about debt and payout. More profitable firms become cash cows and less profitable firms accumulate debt, as in a pecking order model.
Keywords: payout, investment, financing policy, agency
JEL Classification: G31, G32
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation