Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper surveys capital structure theories based on agency costs, asymmetric information, product/input market interactions, and corporate control considerations (but excluding tax‐based theories). For each type of model, a brief overview of the papers surveyed and their relation to each other is provided. The central papers are described in some detail, and their results are summarized and followed by a discussion of related extensions. Each section concludes with a summary of the main implications of the models surveyed in the section. Finally, these results are collected and compared to the available evidence. Suggestions for future research are provided.

Keywords

Section (typography)Capital structureRelation (database)Agency (philosophy)Control (management)Capital (architecture)AccountingPositive economicsEconomicsManagement scienceComputer scienceSociologyManagementGeographySocial scienceMacroeconomicsData mining

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Publication Info

Year
1991
Type
article
Volume
46
Issue
1
Pages
297-355
Citations
3891
Access
Closed

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Milton Harris, Artur Raviv (1991). The Theory of Capital Structure. The Journal of Finance , 46 (1) , 297-355. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1991.tb03753.x

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DOI
10.1111/j.1540-6261.1991.tb03753.x