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Debt Overhang, Costly Expandability and Reversibility, and Optimal Financial Structure

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  • Jyh‐Bang Jou
  • Tan Lee

Abstract

This article compares the investment and financing decisions of a firm that adopts a ‘first‐best’ strategy with those of a firm that adopts a ‘second‐best’ strategy. The former issues bonds upon deciding an initial capacity, while the latter issues bonds, and only then decides an initial capacity. The former is thus able to avoid the agency cost associated with the ‘debt overhang’ problem. Accordingly, the former will both issue more bonds and install a larger initial capacity than the latter. However, the agency cost of debt, i.e., firm value difference between these two strategies, is modest for plausible parameter values.

Suggested Citation

  • Jyh‐Bang Jou & Tan Lee, 2004. "Debt Overhang, Costly Expandability and Reversibility, and Optimal Financial Structure," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(7‐8), pages 1191-1222, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:jbfnac:v:31:y:2004:i:7-8:p:1191-1222
    DOI: 10.1111/j.0306-686X.2004.00572.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Marco Realdon, 2007. "Valuation of the Firm's Liabilities When Equity Holders Are Also Creditors," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5‐6), pages 950-975, June.
    2. Stefan Hirth & Marliese Uhrig-Homburg, 2010. "Investment Timing when External Financing is Costly," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7-8), pages 929-949.
    3. Stefan Hirth & Marliese Uhrig‐Homburg, 2010. "Investment Timing when External Financing is Costly," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7‐8), pages 929-949, July.
    4. Marco Realdon, 2006. "Valuation of the Firm's Liabilities when Equity Holders are also Creditors," Discussion Papers 06/16, Department of Economics, University of York.
    5. Sudipto Sarkar, 2020. "The relationship between operating leverage and financial leverage," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 60(S1), pages 805-826, April.

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