Nonlinear Behaviors in Capital Structure Decisions in Australian Firms

Abstract

In this paper, we investigated (i) the possible nonlinear effects in the determinants of capital structures and (ii) the nonlinear adjustment behavior of cross-sectional debt ratios in Australian firms. Our analysis utilized the quantile regression methodology and examined the existence of nonlinear relationships for Australian financial data from 1991 through 2007. In our results, we first were able to confirm the existence of nonlinear effects between debt ratio and explanatory variables such as firm size and profitability. However, this nonlinearity was not conspicuous for the independent variables of asset tangibility and non-debt tax shield. Also, the non-linear speeds of cross-sectional debt adjustment were confirmed to exist. This research introduces a new perspective on nonlinear effects into the capital structure literature and subsequently serves as a contribution to the previous literature.