← Search

Review of Financial Studies 2015

Equity Market Misvaluation, Financing, and Investment

Missaka Warusawitharana1,2; Toni M. Whited3

1 Federal Reserve · 2 Federal Reserve Board of Governors · 3 University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

open access

Abstract

We estimate a dynamic investment model in which firms finance with equity, cash, or debt. Misvaluation affects equity values, and firms optimally issue and repurchase overvalued and undervalued shares. The funds flowing to and from these activities come from investment, dividends, or net cash. The model fits a broad set of data moments in large heterogeneous samples and across industries. Our parameter estimates imply that misvaluation induces larger changes in financial policies than investment. The investment responses are strongest for small firms but nonetheless modest. Managers' rational responses to misvaluation increase shareholder value by up to 4%.

DOI
10.1093/rfs/hhv066
Pages
hhv066
Language
en
Sources
openalex crossref

Cite