We show that measurable managerial characteristics have significant explanatory power for corporate financing decisions. First, managers who believe that their firm is undervalued view external financing as overpriced, especially equity. Such overconfident managers use less external finance and,...

We show that measurable managerial characteristics have significant explanatory power for corporate financing decisions beyond traditional capital-structure determinants. First, managers who believe that their firm is undervalued view external financing as overpriced, especially equity. Such...

How does access to public equity markets affect real outcomes? We examine the human capital of IPO-filing firms and how going public affects their labor force. While IPO-filing firms have high average wages and limited industrial diversification, a success-ful IPO increases departures of...