Market Timing and Capital Structure

Abstract:     
It is well known that firms are more likely to issue equity when their market values are high, relative to book and past market values, and to repurchase equity when their market values are low. We document that the resulting effects on capital structure are very persistent. As a consequence, current capital structure is strongly related to past market values. The results suggest the theory that capital structure is the cumulative outcome of past attempts to time the equity market.

Keywords: capital structure, market timing, ipo, seo

JEL Classifications: G32

Accepted Paper Series