A New Capital Structure Theory: The Four-Factor Model

Abstract

This article presents a new capital structure model based on four factors well documented in literature: asymmetric information, taxes, bankruptcy costs and decision-makers' overconfidence. The model can simultaneously explain several facts about capital structure including those that remain puzzling from existing theories point of view eg. negative correlation between debt and profitability; why firms issue equity etc. Unlike many advanced research on capital structure, a closed-form solution is obtained for most results.