Rs. Chirinko et Ar. Singha, Testing static tradeoff against pecking order models of capital structure:a critical comment, J FINAN EC, 58(3), 2000, pp. 417-425
In a recent paper? Shyam-Sunder and Myers (1999) introduce a new test of th
e Pecking Order Model. This comment shows that their elegantly simple test
generates misleading inferences when evaluating plausible patterns of exter
nal financing. Our results, coupled with the power problem with the Static
Tradeoff Model documented by Shyam-Sunder and Myers, indicate that their em
pirical evidence can evaluate neither the Pecking Order nor Static Tradeoff
Models. Alternative tests are needed that can identify the determinants of
capital structure and can discriminate among competing hypotheses. (C) 200
0 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved. JEL classification. G32.