Capital structure and law around the world

Paulo F.Pereira Alves, Miguel A. Ferreira

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

76 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this research paper we examine the determinants of capital structure using a large panel of firms from 31 countries, all with different legal systems and different levels of investor protection. Our results confirm that institutional variables play an important role in a firm's capital structure, although firm-level determinants seem to be similar around the world. The most important conclusion of this research concerns the negative impact of the interaction between shareholder rights and profitability on market leverage. It suggests that the more shareholder rights there are, the fewer asymmetric problems occur.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)119-150
Number of pages32
JournalJournal Of Multinational Financial Management
Volume21
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2011

Keywords

  • Capital structure
  • Institutional environment
  • Market timing

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