Past literature attempts to resolve the issue of the motivation behind managers' choice of a given capital structure. Despite several decades of intensive research, there is still no consensus about which theory dominates capital structure decisions. The present study empirically investigates the relative importance of two prominent theories of capital structure- the trade-off and the pecking order theories by exploring the conditions under which each theory can explain the financing choices of firms. These conditions are defined along two dimensions: (i) a firm's degree of information asymmetry, and (ii) its observed leverage relative to target leverage. The results show that, in the short-run, pecking order theory has more explanatory power in explaining the financing choices of firms. The target leverage theory assumes limited importance: Over-leveraged firms, when faced with low adverse information, are more inclined to adapt to the trade-off policies. In the presence of high information asymmetry, however, firms appear to be more concerned about adverse selection costs and make financing decisions that are more consistent with the pecking order theory. An analysis of the market reaction to seasoned equity issuances during announcement periods reveals that firms with high information asymmetry are penalized more than firms with low information asymmetry. This may explain the contradiction when over-leveraged firms continue to issue debt. However, the situation is reversed in the long run. Firms' long term financing goals appear to follow the leverage re-balancing theory. An analysis of financial activities over a five-year period, subsequent to security issuance decisions when they appear to be inconsistent with trade-off theory, reveals that firms follow an active policy of moving closer to the target leverage. In sum, the notion of target capital structure appears to exist. In the short-term, the management's financing decisions are consistent with the modified version of the pecking order theory, leading to tactical deviations from the optimal capital structure. However, long-term analysis indicates that the pecking order effect is largely transitory in nature and firms actively pursue strategic reversals towards an optimal capital structure.

The validating roles of hedging and leverage as value-adding corporate strategies arise from their beneficial manipulation of deadweight market impositions such as taxes and financial distress costs. These roles may even be symbiotic in their value-adding effects, but they are antithetic in their effects on company risk. This study's modelling analysis indicates that hedging and leverage do interact for net benefit to company value; for sensible base-case exogenous parameters, the optimal (value-maximising) joint hedging and leverage strategy increases company value by about 4.0% compared to the unhedged optimal leverage strategy, by about 1.3% compared to the unlevered optimal hedge strategy, and by about 4.0% compared to the company being unlevered and unhedged. Furthermore an optimal joint hedging and leverage strategy is less financially risky than an unhedged optimal leverage strategy or an unhedged and unlevered strategy, and is often less financially risky than an unlevered optimal hedge strategy. Interestingly, the optimal joint hedging and leverage strategy entails some risk-seeking hedge reversal in response to weak price outcomes for production output.

This thesis consists of empirical studies on various aspects of international corporate finance, a series of long-run event studies examining the abnormal stock return performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), and stock analyst recommendations. The first two of these, presented in Chapters 2 and 3, investigate the key issues relating to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The next, in Chapter 4, examines the performance of new American Depositary Receipt issues from emerging markets and its determinants. The final study, presented in Chapter 5, assesses the value of stock analysts? recommendations in emerging markets. It is essentially a series of empirical studies adopting a tried and tested methodology, involving benchmarks, for measuring returns over time in emerging markets, a subject that has not been sufficiently investigated. The long-run event study approach is designed to identify anomalies in these markets, which may be much more pronounced than in developed markets. This thesis makes substantive contributions to the existing knowledge on measuring, documenting and determining various issues in international corporate finance, and provides methodological improvements over previous studies. Chapter 2 presents an examination of the stock return performance of the IPO stocks listed on the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) in Hong Kong, finding that the return performance is sensitive to the benchmark employed. Two main factors contributing to the underperformance of GEM stocks are the ?technology boom? and ?IPO effects?. Moreover, the results of cross-sectional analyses suggest that the Hong Kong GEM is a unique market; since at least 70 percent of the IPO stocks listed on the GEM are technology stocks, the ?technology? factor outweighs previous hypotheses advocated by previous researchers to explain the poor performance of newly listed stocks. Chapter 3 extends this analysis by turning attention to the post-issue stock price performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in Asian markets, using a comparative assessment of the stock performance of Asian IPOs motivated by the ongoing discovery of biases in event studies involving long horizon returns. Various methods were used to remove such biases, while examining the robustness of the long run performance of the IPOs. The results of this examination show that the existence of long run underperformance for the Asian IPOs depends on the methodology used. The study also assesses the ?Market Timing? theory with regard to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), adding to the growing literature that suggests that Asian firms time their issuance of equity securities. Chapter 4 presents a comparative study of the post-issue stock performance and operating performance of the Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of American Depositary Receipts (ADR) in emerging markets. The results of this study suggest that ADR IPOs are underpriced, though not to the same extent as regular IPOs. In the aftermarket, ADR IPOs underperform the Emerging Market Index. However, after controlling for differences in size and industry, underperformance of ADR IPOs compared with both home market IPOs and US IPOs could not be demonstrated. The analysis of stock and operating performance yields consistent results; aside from the ?window dressing? effect, this also demonstrates that stock price performance is a reflection of operating performance over the long run. Chapter 5 presents the first study to examine post-recommendation abnormal returns in emerging markets, based on the Emerging Market Index adjusted model and the Controlling Firm approach, demonstrating that stock prices react significantly to recommendation revisions, both on the revision day and subsequently. In this cross-sectional analysis, it appears that the Market-to-Book ratio is the primary indicator for Buy and Strong Buy recommendations. This indicates that stock analysts in emerging markets prefer high growth stocks with their attractive characteristics.

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In recent years, several new theories have been developedrelating the value of the firm to its capital structure, or explainingwhy firms issue debt securities. However, empirical testing ofthe varying predictions of these theories has not kept pace. Moreover,most investigations have been done on regulated utilities because ofalleged risk homogeneity. The results are ambiguous and cannot begeneralized due to regulatory treatment of taxes.The present investigation is carried out on a broad crosssectionof industrial firms and takes explicit account of businessrisk variations as well as dealing with other econometric problemsignored in previous studies. The results are consistent with Miller's(1977) hypothesis that the value of the firm is independent of leveragein the absence of bankruptcy costs. However, the results are alsoconsistent with the existence of significant leverage-related costswhich vary directly with business risk. / L'etude de l1incidence du levier financier d'une firme sur sa valeurde marche ainsi que des. differentes raisons pour lesquelles une firmeferait appel au marche des obligations pour assurer son financement asuscite ces dernieres annees le developpement de nouvelles approchestheoriques du probleme. Le travail de verification empirique, toutefois,n'a guere suivi et, en particulier, seules les compagnies etroitementsoumises au controle gouvernemental ont fait l'objet d'une etudeapprofondie, du fait sans doute de leur appartenance presumee a lameme classe de risque et ce, en depit du traitement fiscal particulierdont beneficient ces compagnies. De ce fait, les resultats empiriquesactuellement disponibles ne sont pas depourvus d'ambiguite et ne sauraientetre generalises.[...]

This thesis presents various dynamic models of corporate decisions to address two main issues: investment distortions caused by debt financing and cash flow sensitivities. In the first chapter, four measures of investment distortion are computed. First, the effect of financing frictions is examined. The tax benefit of debt induces firms to increase their debt capacity and to invest beyond the first-best level on average. The cost of this investment distortion outweighs the tax benefit of debt. Second, Myers's (1977) debt overhang problem is examined in a dynamic framework. Debt overhang obtains on average, but not in low technology states. Third, there is no debt overhang problem in all technology states when debt is optimally put in place prior to the investment decision. Finally, the cost of choosing investment after the debt policy is examined. Equity claimants lose value by choosing to invest after their debt is optimally put in place because they do not consider the interaction between their investment choice and the debt financing conditions. The second chapter explores the impact of financial constraints on firms' cash flow sensitivities. In contrast to Fazzari, Hubbard, and Petersen (1988), cash flow sensitivities are found to be larger, rather than smaller, for unconstrained firms than for constrained firms. Then, why is investment sensitive to cash flow? In the two models examined in the second chapter, the underlying source of investment opportunities is highly correlated with cash flows. Investment may be sensitive to cash flow fluctuations simply because cash flows proxy for investment opportunities. This leaves two important questions. Can this chapter suggest a better measure of investment opportunities than Tobin's Q? Not a single measure for both the unconstrained and constrained firm models. Can this chapter suggest an easily observable measure of financial constraint? Yes: large and volatile dividend-to-income ratios.

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This thesis consists of empirical studies on various aspects of international corporate finance, a series of long-run event studies examining the abnormal stock return performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), and stock analyst recommendations. The first two of these, presented in Chapters 2 and 3, investigate the key issues relating to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs). The next, in Chapter 4, examines the performance of new American Depositary Receipt issues from emerging markets and its determinants. The final study, presented in Chapter 5, assesses the value of stock analysts? recommendations in emerging markets. It is essentially a series of empirical studies adopting a tried and tested methodology, involving benchmarks, for measuring returns over time in emerging markets, a subject that has not been sufficiently investigated. The long-run event study approach is designed to identify anomalies in these markets, which may be much more pronounced than in developed markets. This thesis makes substantive contributions to the existing knowledge on measuring, documenting and determining various issues in international corporate finance, and provides methodological improvements over previous studies. Chapter 2 presents an examination of the stock return performance of the IPO stocks listed on the Growth Enterprise Market (GEM) in Hong Kong, finding that the return performance is sensitive to the benchmark employed. Two main factors contributing to the underperformance of GEM stocks are the ?technology boom? and ?IPO effects?. Moreover, the results of cross-sectional analyses suggest that the Hong Kong GEM is a unique market; since at least 70 percent of the IPO stocks listed on the GEM are technology stocks, the ?technology? factor outweighs previous hypotheses advocated by previous researchers to explain the poor performance of newly listed stocks. Chapter 3 extends this analysis by turning attention to the post-issue stock price performance of Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) in Asian markets, using a comparative assessment of the stock performance of Asian IPOs motivated by the ongoing discovery of biases in event studies involving long horizon returns. Various methods were used to remove such biases, while examining the robustness of the long run performance of the IPOs. The results of this examination show that the existence of long run underperformance for the Asian IPOs depends on the methodology used. The study also assesses the ?Market Timing? theory with regard to Initial Public Offerings (IPOs), adding to the growing literature that suggests that Asian firms time their issuance of equity securities. Chapter 4 presents a comparative study of the post-issue stock performance and operating performance of the Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of American Depositary Receipts (ADR) in emerging markets. The results of this study suggest that ADR IPOs are underpriced, though not to the same extent as regular IPOs. In the aftermarket, ADR IPOs underperform the Emerging Market Index. However, after controlling for differences in size and industry, underperformance of ADR IPOs compared with both home market IPOs and US IPOs could not be demonstrated. The analysis of stock and operating performance yields consistent results; aside from the ?window dressing? effect, this also demonstrates that stock price performance is a reflection of operating performance over the long run. Chapter 5 presents the first study to examine post-recommendation abnormal returns in emerging markets, based on the Emerging Market Index adjusted model and the Controlling Firm approach, demonstrating that stock prices react significantly to recommendation revisions, both on the revision day and subsequently. In this cross-sectional analysis, it appears that the Market-to-Book ratio is the primary indicator for Buy and Strong Buy recommendations. This indicates that stock analysts in emerging markets prefer high growth stocks with their attractive characteristics.

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, the results of the study are used to isolate the impact of ESOP financing on actual firms as closely as possible. This is simply to point out many of the advantages and disadvantages of ESOP financing. Second, the results of the study are used to compare the relative costs of ESOP's with other deferred employee compensation. In general, the findings indicate that ESOP's have little to offer as a means of financing for publicly held corporations, However, they may have certain advantages when used as a part of a firm's total employee compensation package. The findings indicate that accounting rules for certain types of ESOP's tend to distort per share calculation in the early years of the plan. To correct this, ESOP shares should be considered outstanding only as they become unencumbered. The study found that a definite need exists for empirical data relating to ESOP's motivational effects. This is a key factor in determining how the ESOP will affect a firm's financial structure. Further study of this aspect would provide valuable information regarding the ESOP's effect on the firm's productivity.

LL.M. (Corporate Law) / Jurisdictions employ several legal methods to regulate loans made by shareholders to companies. This dissertation explores the legal mechanisms employed by Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom as well as Australia that align to the recommendations of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) in respect of shareholder loans and seeks to answer the question whether South Africa should adopt similar mechanisms. German law complies fully with the UNCITRAL recommendations by providing for the automatic subordination of shareholder claims in respect of loans as well as the avoidance of repayments and security interests made and registered within a certain period of the commencement of insolvency proceedings. German law also contains avoidance provisions specific to transactions between the debtor and a shareholder that cause detriment to a third-party creditor and general avoidance provisions which provide for certain presumptions to apply in the case of transactions concluded between the company and a shareholder. In the United States the doctrine of equitable subordination is legislated and applies in the event that the debtor is thinly-capitalised and mismanaged and legislative provision is made for the avoidance of preference transactions concluded between a creditor and a debtor, which provide for a longer avoidance period in the case of a transaction concluded with a shareholder. In addition to full legislative compliance with the UNCITRAL recommendation relating to shareholder transactions, the wide powers given to the courts to uphold bankruptcy legislation is codified and led to the development of the doctrine of recharacterization, which entails shareholder loans being treated as equity contributions in certain circumstances. The United Kingdom does not contain legal provisions relating to the subordination of shareholder claims and thus does not comply fully with the UNCITRAL recommendations relating to shareholder loans. However, it does provide specifically for a longer avoidance period in respect of preference transactions involving shareholders and certain presumptions to be applied in the case of transactions concluded between the debtor company and a shareholder.