Corporate Finance in Europe: Confronting Theory with Practice

32 Pages Posted: 25 Dec 2004

See all articles by Dirk Brounen

Dirk Brounen

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Department of Financial Management; Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM); Tinbergen Institute

Abe de Jong

Monash University; University of Groningen; European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Kees C. G. Koedijk

Tilburg University - Department of Finance

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Abstract

We present the results of an international survey of 313 European CFOs on capital budgeting, cost of capital, capital structure, and corporate governance. We find that although large firms often use present value techniques and the capital asset pricing model to assess the feasibility of an investment opportunity, CFOs of small firms still rely on the payback criterion. In capital structure policy, financial flexibility appears to be the most important factor in determining the amount of corporate debt. Corporate finance practice appears to be influenced mostly by firm size, to a lesser extent by shareholder orientation, and least by national influences.

Suggested Citation

Brounen, Dirk and de Jong, Abe and Koedijk, Kees G., Corporate Finance in Europe: Confronting Theory with Practice. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=635041

Dirk Brounen

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Department of Financial Management ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
Room T09-53
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands
+31 1 0408 2371 (Phone)
+31 1 0408 9017 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://web.eur.nl/fbk/dep/dep5/faculty/dbrounen

Tinbergen Institute ( email )

Burg. Oudlaan 50
Rotterdam, 3062 PA
Netherlands
120-551-3535 (Phone)

Abe De Jong

Monash University ( email )

900 Dandenong Rd
Room H3-56
Caulfield East, Victoria 3145
Australia

HOME PAGE: http://https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/abe-de-jong

University of Groningen ( email )

Postbus 72
9700 AB Groningen
Netherlands

European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

c/o the Royal Academies of Belgium
Rue Ducale 1 Hertogsstraat
1000 Brussels
Belgium

Kees G. Koedijk (Contact Author)

Tilburg University - Department of Finance ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands
+31 13 4663048 (Phone)
+31 13 4662052 (Fax)

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
31
Abstract Views
4,953
PlumX Metrics