We apply control rights theory to explain the structure and determinants of financial covenants in private equity backed leveraged buyouts. We analyze 130 German transactions from 2000 to 2008, covering about 40 percent of the LBO market during this period. We consider Germany to be a superior...

This study examines the actual funding behavior of German innovative firms in the pre- and post-crisis period. Specifically, we investigate if and how the funding patterns and financial constraints of German small and medium enterprises (SME) changed during and since the financial crisis. The...

This study explores companies' financing decisions from a new perspective, those of the bank advisers, who are deeply involved in the decision processes, but are nevertheless outsiders. In our survey, corporate advisers of a large German bank report their perception of clients' decisions. The...

This paper examines the financing structure of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Germany and questions whether an equity gap - or, more generally, a financing gap -exists. Reviewing the literature and available data sources, we find that financing constraints seem to affect, if at...

Changes in corporate credit ratings affect subsequent capital structure decisions. The results for listed companies in our U.S. sample support Kisgen's (2006, 2009) credit rating-capital structure hypothesis. However, applying a system GMM system approach, the implications of this hypothesis are...

We use a dynamic framework and panel methodology to investigate the determinants of a firms' time-varying capital structure. Our sample comprises 706 European firms from France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. over the period from 1983 to 2002. If capital structure adjustment is costly, firms may...

SMEs play a crucial role for European economies. The numbers show the high importance of SMEs for national economies. Accordingly, it is no surprise that the regulatory framework SMEs are imbedded in is the subject of an important political discussion. In the discussion it is frequently...

Using internal data of a leasing company in Germany, we examine the determinants of the probability and use of leasing by small firms. We find that small and young firms are likely to be constrained on the leasing market but use leasing to increase their debt capacity. Beyond contract- and...

Using a lender cutoff rule that generates plausibly exogenous variation in credit supply, I investigate a new channel through which funding shocks are transmitted to the real economy. Based on a sample of more than 15,000 loan applications from small- and medium-sized enterprises, I find that...