http://repub.eur.nl/res/aut/4187/ List of Publications en http://repub.eur.nl/static-eur/img/logo.png http://repub.eur.nl http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/13591/ 2008-09-01T00:00:00Z We analyze the importance of firm-specific and country-specific factors in the leverage choice of firms from 42 countries around the world. Our analysis yields two new results. First, we find that firm-specific determinants of leverage differ across countries, while prior studies implicitly assume equal impact of these determinants. Second, although we concur with the conventional direct impact of country-specific factors on the capital structure of firms, we show that there is an indirect impact because country-specific factors also influence the roles of firm-specific determinants of leverage. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/10517/ 2007-09-11T00:00:00Z We analyze the importance of firm-specific and country-specific factors in the leverage choice of firms from 42 countries around the world. Our analysis yields two new results. First, we find that firm-specific determinants of leverage differ across countries, while prior studies implicitly assume equal impact of firm-specific factors. Second, although we concur with the conventional direct impact of country-specific factors on the capital structure of firms, we show that there is an indirect impact because country-specific factors also influence the roles of firm-specific determinants of leverage. http://repub.eur.nl/res/pub/253/ 2002-11-11T00:00:00Z This paper examines whether the stock market valuation impact is consistent with subsequent operating performance of firms. We use data for equity rights offerings - the widely adopted flotation method in the Netherlands. We first examine the stock market announcement effect of rights issues and observe that a statistically significant stock price decline takes place when companies announce rights issues. Further stock price decline is also observed during the subscription period. We then analyze post-rights issue operating performance of firms and find that, consistent with the announcement period decline in stock price, rights issuing firms subsequently exhibit a statistically significant decline in their operating performance. Additional investigation of both stock and operating performance decline provides full support for the information asymmetry hypothesis, partial support for the free cash flow hypothesis but no support for the window of opportunity hypothesis.