Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-25T18:40:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Julio Henrique Machado.pdf: 905798 bytes, checksum: 7ac8ed8754f81d3df49b137642325f77 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-26 / The oil is an essential commodity to the modern economy and it will continue being at least during the first half of 21st century. The fact of the remaining reserves are in deep and ultradeep waters, makes the sector demands considerable investments in research, extration and production. Thus, the petroliferous ones need to have a satisfactory performance, remunerating the shareholders of this sector. In this context, the research is developed with the general objective to analyze the capacity of the companies of the petroliferous sector, in creating economic value and keeping them consistent in the long stated period. For the reach of the general objective, the specific objective is to describe the characteristics of this sector as well as the theoretical referencial being involved theories of the capital structure and value based management. The sample is composed by 10 integrated company of oil listed in the New York Stock Exchange - NYSE. For the correlation study, the activities of exploration and production (E&P) called independent and the economic value added (EVA) called dependent. It has observed that there is not a trend of correlation in the companies, therefore was influenced by the price of market of the barrel and also by the premium demanded for the risk, that varied in the years in analysis. One notices that the reserves are in decline, due to difficulty in its replacement, what it represents uncertainty about the generation of economic value in this sector considering the long stated period / O petróleo é uma commodity essencial à economia moderna e o continuará sendo ao menos durante a primeira metade do século XXI. O fato de as reservas restantes estarem em águas profundas e ultraprofundas, faz com que o setor demande investimentos consideráveis em atividades de exploração e produção. Assim, as petrolíferas precisam ter um desempenho satisfatório, remunerando os acionistas deste setor. Neste contexto, o trabalho desenvolve-se com o objetivo geral de analisar a capacidade das empresas do setor petrolífero, em criar valor econômico e mantê-los consistentes no longo prazo. Para o alcance do objetivo geral, o objetivo específico é descrever as características deste setor bem como o referencial teórico envolvendo teorias da estrutura de capital e gestão baseada no valor. A amostra é composta por 10 companhias integradas de petróleo listadas na New York Stock Exchange - NYSE. Para o estudo de correlação, consideram-se as atividades de exploração e produção (E&P) como variável independente e o valor econômico agregado (EVA) como variável dependente. Observa-se que não há uma tendência de correlação nas empresas, pois o EVA foi fortemente influenciado pelo preço de mercado do barril e também pelo prêmio exigido pelo risco, que variou nos anos em análise. Nota-se que as reservas estão em declínio, devido à dificuldade em sua reposição, o que representa incerteza quanto à geração de valor econômico neste setor considerando o longo prazo

As proposições seminais de Modigliani e Miller iniciaram um campo novo de estudos na moderna teoria de finanças. Com o passar do tempo, suas premissas básicas foram sendo relaxadas, de tal sorte que atualmente são raras as situações em que podem ser aplicadas plenamente, obtendo resultados satisfatórios e consistentes. Por outro lado, pelo fato desse conjunto simples de proposições ter se tornado mundialmente conhecido e de fácil aplicação, acabou sendo adotado como receita geral para a avaliação de empresas. Este trabalho revisita, criticamente, as idéias de Modigliani e Miller, verificando que a aplicação simples e imediata das proposições pode enviesar os valores da firma e do capital próprio. Em situações em que não existe viés de metodologia, os valores resultantes são herméticos, não possibilitando a análise e administração dos elementos individuais que compõem o valor da firma e do capital próprio. O presente trabalho sugere uma metodologia alternativa de avaliação da firma e do capital próprio que independe da validade das premissas de Modigliani e Miller, de tal forma que seja possível a identificação analítica dos componentes de seu valor. A metodologia de avaliação proposta considera que o valor dos ativos independe da estrutura de capital, mas que existe certo componente de valor da firma (diferente do valor dos ativos) que depende da interação entre o financiamento pelo capital próprio e os investimentos operacionais, e que esse valor pode ser identificado e contabilizado isoladamente. A metodologia de avaliação proposta também considera o ganho da dívida como componente do valor da firma e do capital próprio, pelo fato de ser, do ponto de vista do acionista, o quanto de valor o capital de terceiros agrega à firma e ao capital próprio. O arcabouço teórico da metodologia apresentada neste trabalho é encontrado no desenvolvimento do Valor Presente Ajustado, pois, conceitualmente, abrange todos os ´efeitos colaterais´ que podem advir da interação entre estrutura de capital e de investimentos. / The seminal proposals by Modigliani and Miller constituted the start of a new study area in modern finance theory. Over time, their basic premises were slackened to the extent that, nowadays, there are few situations in which they can fully be applied and obtain satisfactory and consistent results. On the other hand, due to the fact that this simple set of proposals became known around the world and is easy to apply, it ended up being adopted as a general recipe for company valuation. We present a critical review of Modigliani and Miller’s ideas, verifying that the simple and immediate application of these proposals can bias firm and equity values. In situations where no methodological bias is present, the resulting values are hermetic and do not permit the analysis and management of the individual components of firm and equity values. This study suggests an alternative methodology for firm and own capital valuation which does not depend on the validity of Modigliani and Miller’s premises, allowing for the analytical identification of firm and equity value components. The proposed valuation methodology considers that asset value does no depend on capital structure, but that there exists a certain component of firm value (different from asset value) which depends on the interaction between debt and equity financing and operational investments, and that this value can be identified and accounted for in itself. The valuation methodology proposed here also considers the gain on debt as a component of firm and equity value, due to the fact that, from the stockholder’s perspective, it represents the amount of value debt adds to the firm and to the own capital. The theoretical framework of the methodology presented here resides in the development of Adjusted Present Value, as it conceptually covers all ´collateral effects´ that may stem from the interaction between capital structure and investments.

A sucessão na empresa familiar tem sido considerada por seus estudiosos como o mais importante desafio a ser enfrentado por aquelas companhias na luta por sua perpetuação. Os processos de transição do controle da família enfrentam várias dificuldades típicas de qualquer transição gerencial ou de propriedade na firma, mas são complicados por fatores subjetivos presentes na interação das dinâmicas empresarial e familiar. Nas sucessões familiares os conflitos emergem, frequentemente, da indiscriminação entre os papéis sociais na família e na empresa. Tais conflitos envolvem questões ligadas à propriedade do negócio, à sua administração e aos interesses da família. A Nova Economia das Instituições adicionou ao corpo teórico das finanças corporativas uma série de variáveis comportamentais desconsideradas pela Economia Neoclássica com o objetivo de imprimir maior realismo às análises teóricas. O presente trabalho investiga as proposições da Teoria Econômica de Finanças para o comportamento dos administradores quanto à escolha da Estrutura de Capital na firma e sua utilidade para os Processos Sucessórios como elemento atenuante de conflitos. As conclusões apontam para uma interdependência entre decisões de Estrutura de Capital e Processo Sucessório, e para uma grande importância da forma de financiamento no longo prazo para o sucesso da Sucessão na Empresa Familiar, além de sugerirem pesquisas mais avançadas no sentido de compreender melhor esse contexto. / Experts consider the process of succession in the family business as the most important challenge in their fight for perpetuation. The transition processes encounter various difficulties common to managerial transitions, yet they are made more complicated due to subjective factors present in both the family and management arenas. During succession processes, conflicts often arise out of a difficulty to differentiate between social and business roles in the family. Such conflicts involve issues such as ownership, management styles and family interests. The New Institutional Economics added a series of behavior variables to the theoretical body of corporate finance. Such variables, previously not considered by the Neoclassic Economics, were added so as to bring a higher level of realism to the theoretical analysis. This dissertation investigates the propositions put forward by the Economic Theory of Finance regarding the behavior of managers as far as their choice of Capital Structure for the business and its validity as conflict attenuation in the process of Succession. The conclusions put forward here point toward an interdependency between decisions regarding Capital Structure and Succession in the Family Business. In addition to that, they highlight the importance of long term financing for a successful process, and suggest further investigation that could support and illustrate the conclusions.

Diversas teorias ao longo do tempo apresentam explicações sobre as estruturas de capital das organizações. As principais são a teoria Pecking Order, Teoria Trade Off e Teoria Free Cash-Flow, com base na teoria de Agência. Todas essas teorias apresentam relações teóricas entre alguns determinantes de estruturas de capital vinculadas a firma que poderiam interferir na decisão de financiamento. Uma segunda linha de estudos, vinculada a esta, apresenta que determinantes externas a firma também interferem nesta estrutura de capital, porém as variáveis de firma comportam-se de forma semelhante em diferentes cenários econômicos. (RAJAN e ZINGALES, 1995; BOOTH et. al., 2001; de JONG et. al., 2008; GURCHARAN, 2010; KAYO e KIMURA, 2011). Considerando as pesquisas anteriores, desenvolveu-se uma investigação para a confirmação desta hipótese, com o objetivo de identificar quais variáveis são mais importantes na tomada de decisão financeira e se há variabilidade em cenários temporais e ambientes econômicos distintos. Para tal foram analisadas 10.243 empresas sediadas em 61 países distintos no período de 2002-2011, totalizando o número de 58.423 observações firma ano, por meio de um modelo de regressão linear hierárquica de três níveis com medidas repetidas, verificando qual a importância das variáveis de firma e país no endividamento, se há variação das mesmas em países com diferentes contextos econômicos e em períodos de crescimento e retração econômica. Foram analisadas cinco determinantes clássicas de firma (lucratividade, tangibilidade, proteção fiscal não advinda da dívida, tamanho e oportunidades de crescimento), e onze variáveis de país que possuem relação com o endividamento (PIB, inflação, taxa de impostos, volume negociado em ações, liquidez de bolsa, capitalização das empresas listadas, índice risco país, taxa de juros, enforcement jurídico, nível de proteção ao investidor e nível de disclosure de negócios). A partir das análises realizadas, foi identificado que o endividamento está ligado em maior grau a características das firmas e ao tempo, e em menor grau, porém significante, às características do ambiente. Foi identificado que não há mudanças extremamente significativas no comportamento das variáveis de firma entre economias desenvolvidas e em desenvolvimento, assim como entre períodos pré e pós-crise financeira de 2008. Em relação as determinantes de país analisadas, observa-se que as mesmas apresentam comportamento adverso em função da crise de 2008, perdendo capacidade explicativa, e não apresentam comportamento de mudança de sinal dos coeficientes quando comparados países com desenvolvimento econômico distinto. Identifica-se que características do desenvolvimento econômico ficam mais evidentes no processo de financiamento, como acesso a recursos em economias com menor desenvolvimento. Os resultados apresentam convergência com os estudos anteriores como os de Moore (1986), Rajan e Zingales (1995), Booth et. al. (2001), Kayo e Kimura (2011), Bebzcuk e Galindo (2011), Akbar et. al (2012), entre outros. / Several theories over time present explanations of the capital structures of organizations. The main theories are the Pecking Order Theory, Trade Off and Free Cash-Flow Theory, based on the Agency Theory. All these theories have some theoretical relationships between determinants of capital structures linked to firm that could interfere in the financing decision. A second line of studies, linked to this, shows that determinants outside the firm also interfere in capital structure, but the firm variables behave similarly in different economic scenarios (RAJAN and ZINGALES, 1995; BOOTH et. al., 2001; de JONG et. al., 2008; GURCHARAN, 2010; KAYO and KIMURA, 2011). Considering previous researches, we developed an investigation to confirm this hypothesis, identifying which variables are the most important in financial decision-making and there is variability in temporal scenarios and different economic environments. To this end, we analyzed 10,243 companies based in 61 different countries in the period 2002-2011, a total number of 58,423 firm year observations, through a hierarchical linear regression model of three levels with repeated measures, checking the importance of the variables firm and country in debt, if there is variation in the same countries with different economic contexts and periods of growth and downturn. We analyzed five firm classical determinants ( profitability , tangibility, non-debt tax shield , size and growth opportunities) , and eleven variables that are related to country debt ( GDP , inflation, taxes , trading volume in shares , stock liquidity , capitalization of listed companies, country risk index , interest rate , law enforcement , level of investor protection and disclosure level) . From the analysis, it was identified the debt is linked to a greater degree the characteristics of firms and time, and on a lesser degree, but significant, with characteristics of the environment. It wasn\'t identified very significant changes in the behavior of firm variables between developed and developing countries, as well as between pre-and post- 2008 financial crisis. Regarding the determinants of country analyzed, it is observed that they present adverse behavior due to the 2008 crisis, losing explanatory power, and have no behavior change in sign of the coefficients when comparing countries with different economic development. Characteristics of economic development become more evident in the funding process, such as access to resources in less developed economies. The results show convergence with previous studies such as Moore (1986) , Rajan and Zingales (1995) Booth et al. al. (2001) Kayo and Kimura (2011) , Bebzcuk and Galindo (2011) , Akbar et al. al (2012 ), among others

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:25:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Carlos Alberto Correa.pdf: 691557 bytes, checksum: 7aab270e1cd39cc1f5decdd3b66d2541 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-10-16 / Theories about capital structure suggest several variables that might determinate financing decisions. In general, the studies use cross-section or time series analysis to test these determinants. This study aimed to analyze some of the supposed determinants of capital structure of the larger Brazilian firms, under the lights of the two main theories, the Trade-Off Theory and the Pecking Order Theory, testing the validity of their assumption in the local market. This is an adaptation of the paper of Gaud et al., (2005) developed with Swiss firms, which was used to choose some variables and the Panel Data methodology. Dynamic tests were performed in order to analyze the adjustment process toward a supposed optimal target debit-to-equity ratio, as suggested by other studies that focused on the dynamics of the capital structure decisions. The results show that leverage is negatively associated with the level of tangible assets and profitability, while risk is positively associated with leverage. It was found also that foreign companies present higher debit level than Brazilian owned companies. In general, results suggest that the Pecking Order Theory is more consistent than the Trade-Off Theory to explain the capital structure of the larger Brazilian firms. The dynamic analysis showed a slow adjustment process toward the supposed target debit ratio, suggesting the existence of high transactional costs and giving more evidences to a Pecking Order behavior of managers. / As teorias que versam sobre a estrutura de capital das empresas, sugerem diversas variáveis que poderiam determinar as decisões de financiamento. Em geral, os principais estudos utilizam testes em cross-section ou em séries temporais como metodologia de análise. Este estudo buscou analisar alguns fatores que supostamente determinariam o nível de endividamento das maiores empresas brasileiras, à luz das duas principais teorias que versam sobre o assunto, a teoria de Pecking Order e a teoria de Trade-Off, testando a validade empírica dessas teorias na realidade nacional. O estudo é uma adaptação do artigo desenvolvido por Gaud et al., (2005) na Suíça, cujo trabalho serviu como base para escolha de algumas variáveis e dos testes econométricos realizados, e utiliza a metodologia de Panel Data. Além de testes estáticos, foram feitos testes dinâmicos, com o objetivo de analisar o processo de ajuste da estrutura de capital ao longo do tempo, em direção a um suposto nível-alvo ótimo, como sugerido em outros estudos que abordaram a natureza dinâmica das decisões sobre estrutura de capital. Os resultados demonstraram relação negativa entre o nível de endividamento das empresas, o grau de tangibilidade dos ativos e a rentabilidade, bem como relação positiva do endividamento com o risco. Demonstraram ainda que empresas de capital estrangeiro são mais endividadas que empresas nacionais. De um modo geral, os resultados sugerem que a teoria de Pecking Order é mais consistente do que a teoria de Trade-Off para explicar a estrutura de capital das maiores empresas brasileiras. A análise dinâmica demonstrou baixa velocidade do processo de ajuste da estrutura de capital em direção ao nívelalvo, sugerindo a existência de elevados custos de transação e confirmando o comportamento de Pecking Order dos administradores.

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This study is aimed at investigating the capital structures of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed South African IT firms and compare these to the capital structures of NASDAQ listed US IT firms in order to better understand the capital structures that JSE listed South African firms employ. The study made use of secondary data in the form of ratio analysis from public sources, as well as the published annual financial statements of the firms. The Generalised Method of Moments regression analysis technique was used in order to test the data for relationships between certain ratios. The study found positive relationships between the firm’s capital structure and its return on equity; meaning that firms should make use of their capital structures to maximise their return on equity and as a result, returns for its shareholders. / Hierdie studie is daarop gerig om die kapitaalstrukture van Suid-Afrikaanse IT-ondernemings wat op die Johannesburgse Aandelebeurs (JSE) genoteer is te ondersoek, en dit te vergelyk met die kapitaalstrukture van NASDAQ-genoteerde Amerikaanse IT-ondernemings ten einde die kapitaalstrukture wat JSE-genoteerde Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings gebruik, beter te verstaan. Die studie het sekondêre data in die vorm van verhoudingsontleding uit openbare bronne, asook die gepubliseerde finansiële jaarstate van die ondernemings gebruik. Die Veralgemeende Metode van Momente-regressieanalisetegniek is gebruik ten einde die data vir verwantskappe tussen bepaalde verhoudings te toets. Die studie het positiewe verwantskappe tussen die ondernemings se kapitaalstruktuur en opbrengs op ekwiteit gevind; dit beteken dat ondernemings hul kapitaalstrukture behoort te gebruik om hul opbrengs op ekwiteit en gevolglik ook opbrengste vir hul aandeelhouers te maksimeer. / Lolu cwaningo kuhloswe ngalo ukuhlola izinhlaka ezifaka imali ezinkampanini zobuchwephese bamakhompuyutha ezisohlwini lwe-Johannesburg Stock Exchange (i-JSE), nokuziqhathanisa nezinhlaka ezifaka imali ezinkampanini zase-US zobuchwepheshe bekhompuyutha ezisohlwini lwe-NASDAQ ukuze kuqondakale kangcono izinhlaka ezifaka imali ezinkampanini zaseNingizimu Afrika ezisohlwini lwe-JSE. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzise imininingwane eqoqwe kweminye emayelana nokucwaningwa kwezinombolo etholakala emithonjeni evulelekile emalungwini omphakathi kanye nakwizitatimende zezezimali zonyaka zezinkampani. Kusetshenziswe indlela yokucwaninga ehlawumbiselayo ngokuqhathanisa ubudlelwano neyaziwa ngokuthi yi-Generalised Method of Moments, ukuze kuhlolwe imininingwane eveza ubudlelwano phakathi kwezinombolo ezithile. Ucwaningo luthole ubudlelwano obubonakalayo phakathi kwezinhlaka ezifaka imali enkampanini kanye nenzuzo yayo yamanani amasheya; okusho ukuthi izinkampani kumele zisebenzise izinhlaka zazo ezizifakela imali ukwandisa amathuba enzuzo yamanani amasheya okuyinto ezodala ukuba kuhlomule abanini-bamasheya. / Finance, Risk Management and Banking / M. Com. (Finance)

本研究的目的在於探討企業的財務結構決策是否攸關市場價值。根據加權平均資金成本與企業評價模式相關文獻基礎，產生下列三個假設：(1)資本結構與平均資金成本存有關聯性；(2)最適資本結構必須存在，以使平均資金成本達到最低；(3)平均資金成本與企業價值也存有關聯性。故本研究之實證議題探討：(1)平均資金成本與資本結構的關聯性以及最佳資本結構是否存在(2)加權平均資金成本、權益資金成本與企業價值的關聯性(3)資本結構與平均資金成本之關聯性對企業價值的影響。 本研究使用民國80年至88年台灣證交所股票上市公司作為樣本資料，主要的實證結果如下。財務結構與平均資金成本具有顯著的負向關係，故實證結果並不支持M-M 的槓桿無關論。在十八個產業中，大約半數的產業存在最適資本結構。此外，相對於平均資金成本而言，權益資金成本與股價報酬呈現顯著的負向關係，且具有較高的解釋力；這個結果強調了權益資金成本在解釋股價報酬上的重要性。 本研究亦發現，企業經理人無法透過財務結構的調整來極大化企業的價值，經理人應該考量其他方式來極大化公司的價值。 / The purpose of this thesis is to investigate whether financial structure decisions of a firm are relevant to its market value. Three assumptions underlie the literature on weighted average cost of capital and firm valuation models. First, the linkage exists between the capital structure and the average cost of capital. Second, in order to minimize the average cost of capital, the presence of optimal capital structure is required. And third, the relationship exists between the average cost of capital and firm values. The empirical issues explored in this thesis therefore include: (1) The relationship between the average cost of capital and the capital structure and the presence of optimal capital structure; (2) The association between weighted average cost of capital, cost of equity capital and firm values; and (3) The influence of capital structure-average cost of capital relationship on firm values. Using the listed companies on Taiwan Stock Exchange over the period of 1991 to 1999 as the sample, major empirical findings are as follows. The empirical evidence indicates that financial structure is significantly negatively associated with the average cost of capital, which in turn may imply the M-M leverage irrelevance proposition is not supported by the sample firms examined. About half of the 18 industries examined in this study suggest the presence of optimal capital structure. Furthermore, compared to the average cost of capital, the cost of equity capital is found to be significantly and negatively associated with stock returns and has better explanatory power. This emphasizes the importance of the cost of equity capital in interpreting the behavior of stock returns. In addition, this thesis also finds that managers’ influence of maximizing firms’values through adjusting their firms’financial structures is limited. Managers may have to find avenues other than financial structure decisions to maximize the values of their firms.

近年來，隨著國內產業結構之轉變，以及金融自由化政策之推動，企業經營環境已隨著大幅改變。本研究的目的，主要在於探討這些轉變對於國內上市公司資本結構是否會造成重大的影響。 　　本研究資料乃取自教育部EPS資料庫與臺灣經濟新報社資料庫，樣本期間為民國78年到82年，共120家上市公司。研究方法主要採用變異成份模型(Variance Component Model)與誤差成份模型(Error Component Model)來研究上市公司資本結構的影響因素。並作共線性檢定、自我相關檢定及異質性檢定，若有異質變異數之現象產生，則以White [1980]之方法加以修正。 　　變異成份模型實證結果發現在分析資本結構的時候，以個別公司為分析單位較以假設個別公司同質的整個產業為分析單位為適當。 　　誤差成份模型實證結果發現（一）在全部產業方面：獲利能力、股利支付率與負債比率呈顯著負相關；資產抵押價值、成長機會、規模大小、稅盾利益、金融開放程度與負債比率呈顯著正相關；而營運風險、研究發展費用率、廣告費用率與負債比率雖不顯著，但是為負值。（二）在製造業方面：獲利能力、股利支付率、研究發展費用率與負債比率呈顯著負相關；成長機會、稅盾利益、金融開放程度與負債比率呈顯著正相關；而營運風險、廣告費用率與負債比率皆不顯著，但為負值，而資產抵押價值、規模大小與負債比率亦不顯著，但為正值。（三）在非製造業方面：獲利能力、廣告費用率、股利支付率與負債比率呈顯著負相關；資產抵押價值、規模大小、研究發展費用率、金融開放程度與負債比率呈顯著正相關；而營運風險與負債比率呈不顯著，但為負值，而成長機會、稅盾利益與負債比率呈不顯著，但為正值。

本論文包含二篇與公司財務相關之文章，第一篇文章嘗試在考量總體經濟條件和公司生產力衝擊下，建構一個簡單結構式模型以探討公司之資本結構決策。特別的是，由該模型可得到公司最適負債比率與總體經濟條件衝擊之報酬波動性呈反向關係，惟公司最適負債比率與公司生產力衝擊之報酬波動性呈正向關係。第二篇文章係利用對稱寡占產業均衡模型，以探討產業內經理人薪酬決策之異質性。即使產業內所有公司皆為同質，在模型均衡下存在有些公司會採取激勵性薪酬，而其他公司則不採取激勵性薪酬。該模型預期當市場競爭性增加時，產業內公司經理人薪酬決策會更具異質性。此外，上述二篇文章皆分別以美國製造業資料進行實證，並且實證結果均符合其模型之預期。 / This dissertation proposes two essays about corporate finance. Essay one develops a simple structural model to investigate a firm’s capital structure choices in consideration of macroeconomic conditions and firm-level productivity shocks. The model particularly generates the implication that the optimal debt ratio is negatively correlated to the return volatility of macroeconomic conditions, but positively correlated to that of firm-level productivity. Essay two is contributed to explore the heterogeneity of the compensation decision within the industry by employing a symmetric oligopoly industry equilibrium model. Within the equilibrium some firms will adopt incentive pay while others will not, even though all firms are ex ante identical. The model predicts that there is more heterogeneity in the compensation decision as the intensity of market competition increases. Both of the two essays further provide empirical evidence of the US manufacturing industry to support the model implications.

Agency Costs of Controlling Minority Shareholders (coauthored with Henrik Cronqvist) estimates the agency costs of controlling minority shareholders (CMSs) using a panel of Swedish listed firms. CMSs are owners who have a control stake of the firm’s votes while owning only a minority fraction of the firm’s equity. The study documents that families in control are almost exclusively CMSs through an extensive use of dual-class shares. The results show that increased ownership of votes by a controlling owner is associated with an economically and statistically significant decrease in firm value, but that the decrease in firm value is significantly larger for firms with family CMSs than for firms with financial institutions or corporations in control. This indicates that the agency costs of family CMSs are larger than the agency costs of other controlling owners.Family Ownership, Control Considerations, and Corporate Financing Decisions: An Empirical Analysis analyzes the relation between concentrated family control and firms’ choice of capital structure for a panel of Swedish listed firms. The results suggest that the capital structure choices made by firms with families in control are influenced by the controlling families’ desire to protect their control, and that the resulting capital structures are likely to increase the agency costs of family control. The Choice between Rights Offerings and Private Equity Placements (coauthored with Henrik Cronqvist) analyzes the determinants of the choice between rights offerings and private equity placements using a sample of rights offerings and private placements made by listed Swedish firms. The results indicate that control considerations explain why firms make uninsured rights offerings. The evidence also suggest that private placements, and to some extent underwritten rights offerings, are made by potentially undervalued firms in order to overcome underinvestment problems resulting from asymmetric information about firm value. Furthermore, private placements are frequently made in conjunction with the establishment of a product market relationship between purchaser and seller, which is consistent with equity ownership reducing contracting costs in new product market relationships. Why Agency Costs Explain Diversification Discounts (coauthored with Henrik Cronqvist and Peter Högfeldt) studies diversification within the real estate industry, in which firms can diversify over property types and geographical regions. Similar to previous studies, this essay documents the existence of a diversification discount. However, the major cause of the diversification discount is not diversification per se but anticipated costs due to rent dissipation in future diversifying acquisitions. Firms expected to pursue non-focusing strategies do indeed diversify more, are valued ex ante at a 20% discount over firms anticipated to follow a focusing strategy, and are predominantly family controlled. The ex ante diversification discount is, therefore, a measure of agency costs.  The Difference in Acquirer Returns between Takeovers of Public Targets and Takeovers of Private Targets shows, for a sample of Swedish takeovers, that the average acquirer abnormal return is positive and significant when the target firm is privately held but insignificant when the target firm is listed on a stock exchange. These results are robust when controlling for sample selection problems and other variables capable of explaining acquirer returns. The evidence is consistent with greater acquirer bargaining power and resolution of information asymmetries in takeovers of private targets. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2002