We investigate the effect of board connections on the debt structure of private firms. Using a comprehensive panel data set from Italy, our empirical evidence indicates that independent directors who sit on multiple boards facilitate firms' access to external debt, mostly in the form of trade...

We empirically examine how corporate cash holdings relate to debt structure, that is, the fraction of bond financing. We find that the relation between cash holdings and bond financing is U-shaped in the cross-section of firms. That is, firms that do not use bond financing or those that are...

We show that the structure and pricing of debt in LBOs mostly depend on a single characteristic of the target firm, pre-LBO profitability. We find a positive relationship between pre-LBO profitability and deal leverage, that is consistent with a dynamic trade-off theory of capital structure in...

We review the literature on debt structure, which is a central element in a firm's capital structure. We first survey both theoretical and empirical research pertaining to debt characteristics – maturity and priority – and debt types – bank loans, corporate bonds, credit lines, commercial...

We review the literature on debt structure, which is a central element in a firm's capital structure. We first survey both theoretical and empirical research pertaining to debt characteristics—maturity and priority—and debt types—bank loans, corporate bonds, credit lines, commercial paper,...