We revisit the well-established puzzle that leverage is negatively correlated with measures of profitability. In contrast, we find that at times when firms are at or close to their optimal level of leverage, the cross-sectional correlation between profitability and leverage is positive. At other...

Many U.S. corporate bonds are either callable or convertible. While callable bonds provide a higher coupon to bondholders in exchange for a firm's repurchase option of its claim, convertible bonds offer investors the option to exchange a firm's debt to equity. This paper analyzes the choice...