What Do We Know About Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data

Posted: 5 Sep 1994

See all articles by Raghuram G. Rajan

Raghuram G. Rajan

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; International Monetary Fund (IMF); National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Luigi Zingales

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: July 1994

Abstract

We investigate the determinants of capital structure choice by analyzing the financing decisions of public firms in the major industrialized countries. At an aggregate level, firm leverage is fairly similar across the G-7 countries. We find that the factors identified by previous studies as important in determining the cross-section of capital structure in the US, affect firm leverage in other countries as well. However, a deeper examination of the US and foreign evidence suggests that the theoretical underpinnings of the observed correlations are still largely unresolved.

JEL Classification: G32

Suggested Citation

Rajan, Raghuram G. and Zingales, Luigi, What Do We Know About Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data (July 1994). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5494

Raghuram G. Rajan

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

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Luigi Zingales (Contact Author)

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business ( email )

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National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI) ( email )

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Belgium

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