Limits to the Use of Debt

10 important questions on Limits to the Use of Debt

What are the 3 debt constraint theories?

1. The tradeoff theory
2. The pecking order theory
3. The market timing theory

What is the tradeoff theory?

The theory that describes how a firm can optimise its capital structure in a world with taxes, financial distress costs and agency costs. It states that companies are always looking for an optimal amount of leverage by balancing the costs and benefits of leverage.

What are the benefits of debt?

1. Debt decreases the debt burden (because of tax shield)
2. Limit to discretionary expenses by management (reduction of agency costs)
3. Banks monitor the expenses of management to protect their interests (reduction of agency costs)
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What are the costs of debt?

1. Costs of financial distress, also known as bankruptcy costs and bankruptcy risk
2. Agency costs such as underinvestment or more incentives to choose high risk projects
3. Personal taxes on interest income

What are the 2 types of agency costs?

1. Agency costs of debt - agency costs as a result of an increase in value for shareholders at the expense of creditors
2. Agency costs of equity - other costs

In what ways can managers increase the value of equity at the expense of debt?

1. Investing in high-risk projects
2. Underinvestment (investing too little in a certain project)
3. Milking the property: paying out extra dividends in a situation of financial distress, which leaves less money for creditors in case of bankruptcy

What are the 3 agency costs of equity?

1. Shirking (doing less work when return is smaller)
2. Perquisites (costs incurred when managers give more luxury to themselves than is reasonable)
3. Bad investments (investments that increase own salary but decrease return for shareholders)

What is the pecking order theory?

Theory that assumes asymmetrical information. A firm has to conform to a hierarchy when financing its operations.

What is the pecking order hierarchy?

1. Use free cash flows
2. Use debt
3. Use equity

What is the market timing theory?

Theory that states that the chosen capital structure of a company depends on differences between market and book value

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