Using a broad range of uncertainty measures, we show that uncertainty dramatically slows down firms' adjustments toward their optimal capital structure. At the upper bound, the estimated speed of leverage adjustments almost halves when uncertainty is high. High quality institutions (common law...

Given the increasing importance of private equity in the world economy, we examine the strategic decision to finance a business in an international context by evaluating whether private equity is a substitute for or a complement to other sources of external finance. We find strong evidence that...