The Puzzle of Zero Debt Capital Structure in Emerging Capital Markets

Abstract

Kokoreva Maria Sergeevna - assistant professor, lecturer, HSE Higher School of Economics, deputy head of the school of finance, researcher of the scientific and educational laboratory of corporate finance, director of the joint educational program for the preparation of bachelors in the direction of "Economics" USU and HSE.

E-mail: maria_kokoreva@mail.ru

This study investigates the puzzle of zero-debt on in developing markets using a sample of firms from Eastern Europe during 2000-2013. The results of this paper are in line with the previous research of firms from developed markets. Firms that are financially constrained do not use debt as a result of credit rationing w. While financially unconstrained firms intentionally eschew debt to maintain financial flexibility and avoid underinvestment incentives. Furthermore, this study provides new insights on into unconstrained firms’ performance during different economic situations. Firms that strategically avoid debt show better financial results than levered firms.