In this paper we show the advantages of staged investments for venture capitalists. We develop an option-pricing model that enables to evaluate the flexibility acquired by a venture capitalist when he stages his investment process. Instead of investing a fixed amount at the beginning of the...

This paper develops a framework for analyzing the impact of macroeceomic conditions on credit risk and dynamic capital structure choice. We begin by observing that when cash flows depend on current economic conditions, there will be a benefit for firms to adapt their default and financing...

This paper examines the effects of uncertainty and the choice of financial structure in a vertically differentiated duopoly. In the market model consumers are located along a continuum of taste parameters and prefer unanimously higher to lower qualities when quality prices are set at average...

We examine the long-run performance of firms that offer seasoned equity on the Swiss market. Swiss firms use offerings with rights to raise new equity and they can issue three types of securities. Moreover, the tax law has for some firms the effect of increasing the issuing frequency. We find...

Using a large sample of 5,365 European firms,we document the driving factors of debt-equity choices. Adjustments to a target debt level play a modest role except when debt exceeds an upper barrier, a result that underlines the importance of debt capacity. Preference for internal financing,...

If debt capacity is defined as the incremental debt that is optimally associated with an additional asset, then the debt capacity of growth options is negative. Underinvestment costs of debt increase and free cash flow benefits of debt fall with additional growth options. Thus, if firm value...

Using a sample of over 5,000 European firms, we document the driving factors of capital structure policies in Europe. Controlling for dynamic patterns and national environments, we show how these policies cannot be reduced to a simple trade-off or pecking order model. Both corporate governance...

In this paper, we analyze the determinants of the capital structure for a panel of 106 Swiss companies listed in the Swiss stock exchange. Both static and dynamic tests are performed for the period 1991-2000. It is found that the size of companies, the importance of tangible assets and business...

This paper studies the corporate policy distortions caused by realization-based capital gains taxation at the personal level in a dynamic trade-off theory model. The Lock-in effect of embedded capital gains creates severe conflicts of interest between incumbent and new investors. The firm's...

We investigate the influence of various fundamental variables on a cross-section of credit default swap transaction data. Credit default swap rates can be seen as a superior proxy to credit risk than bond spreads are. Because we have transaction prices rather than quotes, we have thus...