Research on capital structure of companies are considered among the most important in the area of finance. Several theoretical approaches have been tested and discussed in the financial literature. This study investigates the level of indebtedness of the largest companies in the light of the two main theories that deal with the subject, the Pecking Order Theory and the trade-off theory, testing its determinants. Pecking Order theory suggests the existence of a hierarchy in the use of sources, while the trade-off theory considers the existence of a target capital structure that would be pursued by the company. The study is adapted from the article by Gaud et al. (2005), whose work served as the basis and main reference for the choice of the main variables and econometric tests performed. As Gaud et al. (2005) developed the statistical analyzes using the methodology of Panel Data, which considers the data in cross-sectional and longitudinal form. In addition to static tests, dynamic tests were performed, aiming to analyze the adjustment process of capital structure over time, toward a supposed optimal target level. The results showed a negative relationship between the level of indebtedness and the degree of asset tangibility and profitability as well as positive relationship between risk and indebtedness. Also our results showed that foreign-funded enterprises are more leveraged than domestic firms. Overall, the results suggest that the Pecking Order theory is more consistent than the trade-off theory to explain the capital structure of Brazilian companies. In particular, we highlight the negative relationship between indebtedness and profitability, confirming several other research results in the Brazilian reality. The dynamic analysis showed low speed of the adjustment process of capital structure towards the target level, suggesting the existence of high transaction costs and confirming the presence of a behavior aligned with the Pecking Order theory.
Dynamic Panel Data; Capital structure; TOT; POT; Tangible assets and to profitability
