for corporate leverage. The risk anomaly generates a simple tradeoff theory: At zero leverage, the overall cost of capital …. Empirically, the risk anomaly tradeoff theory and the traditional tradeoff theory are both consistent with the finding that firms … with low-risk assets choose higher leverage. More uniquely, the risk anomaly theory helps to explain why leverage is …

Default probability plays a central role in the static tradeoff theory of capital structure. We directly test this … theory by regressing the probability of default on proxies for costs and benefits of debt. Contrary to predictions of the … theory, firms with higher bankruptcy costs, i.e., smaller firms and firms with lower asset tangibility, choose capital …