On testing the Tradeoff Theory of capital structure with real options

Abstract

We explain often anomalous results of capital structure tests by infusing tradeoff theory with real options. Of course one can explain almost everything using a soft qualitative theory. This paper's addition is to use a quantitative approach to generate tradeoff theory predictions for firms with valuable real options. We are able to explain many of the results of Rajan and Zingales (1995), Welch (2004), and Flannery and Rangan (2006).