This paper examines empirically a comprehensive sample of firms undertaking Chapter 11 reorganizations, prepackaged bankruptcies, and workouts. We provide evidence that the restructuring decision depends on the degree of the firm's leverage, the severity of its liquidity crisis, the extent of...

This article studies variations in the value of diversification across time under various capital market conditions. I find that when external capital is more costly at the aggregate level, the value of conglomerates increases relative to focused firms. I also find that this increase is greater...

This article studies variations in the value of diversification across time under variouscapital market conditions. I find that when external capital is more costly at the aggregatelevel, the value of conglomerates increases relative to focused firms. I also find that thisincrease is greater for...

"This paper provides new evidence regarding the information content of debt ratings. We show that noninvestment grade subordinated issues are consistently priced too high (the yield is too low), and the reverse is true for some investment grade bonds. We relate this empirical bias to a notching...

Under incomplete contracting, limited liability creates differential valuations of investments from private and government perspectives. Managers in the private sector tend to over-invest in risky technologies, compared to levels of investment that are optimal from the standpoint of the society...

The role of high leverage in corporate restructuring, popularity of junk bonds (original-issue, high-yield bonds) and the savings & loan crisis have been important aspects of the finance scene in the 1980s. A very active academic literature has developed in recent years on dealing with financial...