Tradeoff Theory and Leverage Dynamics of High-Frequency Debt Issuers*

We test whether high-frequency net-debt issuers (HFIs)—public industrial companies with relatively low issuance costs and high debt-financing benefits—manage leverage toward long-run targets. Our answer is they do not: (1) the leverage–profitability correlation is negative even in quarters with leverage rebalancing; (2) the speed-of-adjustment to target leverage deviations is no higher for HFIs than for low-frequency net-debt issuers; and (3) under-leveraged HFIs do not speed up rebalancing activity in significant investment periods. Thus, even in the subset of firms most likely to follow dynamic trade-off theory, the theory does not appear to hold.

Abnormal Returns, Corporate Financial Policies and the Dynamics of Leverage: Empirical Evidence from Non-Financial Sector of Pakistan

The aim of this study is to evaluate impact of corporate financial policies and the dynamics of leverage on financial performance of non-financial sector in Pakistan. In this study we used the data from Fertilizer, Chemical and Cement sector for the period 2008-2017. Abnormal return has been taken as dependent variable and Change in cash to lagged market values, Change in EBIT to lagged market values, Change in dividend to lagged market value, Net Financing to lagged market value, Lagged cash values to lagged market values, Lagged cash values to lagged market values crossed by change in cash to lagged market value, Change in total assets net of cash to lagged market values, Change in interest to lagged market values, Operating leverage, Financial leverage, Total leverage, Leverage ratio, Leverage ratio to change in cash crossed by lagged market values and WACC are taken as explanatory variables. OLS, Fixed effect and Random effect models has been used to express the impact of these variables on return. Hence it is concluded that leverage dynamics are significant contributors in designing the corporate financial policies. Corporate financial policies have significant impact on the financial performance of the non-financial sector of Pakistan.

Can Post-Merger Integration Costs and Synergy Delays Explain Leverage Dynamics of Mergers?

The integration of two merging firms takes time to complete, and synergy gains from a merger can be captured only after the firms go through a costly and often lengthy post-merger integration period. This paper presents a dynamic model of capital structure for the target firm and the acquirer to examine the effects of the integration period on acquiring firms’ financing behavior around mergers. The model generates predictions that provide rational (non-behavioral) explanations for documented empirical evidence regarding leverage dynamics around mergers. When anticipating a longer and costlier integration period, acquiring firms strategically plan ahead by choosing a lower leverage prior to and at the time of the merger, and gradually lever up as the post-merger integration process nears completion. Deals with longer integration periods are financed with a larger fraction of equity. The model also implies that acquiring firms optimally time takeovers of underleveraged firms that experience negative shocks to their earnings.

Empirical research on mergers’ leverage dynamics and post-merger integration duration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the post-merger integration duration on acquiring firms’ leverage behavior before and after a merger, using a dynamic model in which full merger benefits cannot be consumed at the instant of a merger, but rather after a pre-specified post-merger integration period. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a dynamic model and empirical tests that describe the impact of the post-merger integration period on the capital structure dynamics of the acquiring and target firms prior to a merger and during the post-merger integration period. By incorporating costs associated with the post-merger integration period, the model can provide new implications for the leverage behavior around the merger. Findings Empirical tests support the model implications by showing that the longer the expected post-merger integration process, the less likely the acquirer will structure the financing of the combined firm in a manner that increases firm leverage. Since integration takes time to complete, an acquirer tends to retain financial flexibility during the integration process by assuming lower levels of debt when determining the capital structure of the merged entity. Originality/value The model generates new implications related to acquiring firms’ leverage dynamics along with the method of payment choice. The analysis of the duration of the post-merger integration period extends both the theoretical and empirical literature that tacitly assumes that the merger-related synergy is realized immediately at the merger date. This is the first model in the literature that assumes that both the acquiring and the target firms can change their capital structure overtime, which allows us to analyze both the financing structure and the merger timing. Previous empirical studies also ignore the integration period in the analysis of the method of payment choice and leverage behavior around mergers. The model in this paper can be extended along a number of dimensions.