Leverage and Uncertainty

Macroeconomic Uncertainty and Firm Leverage

This paper investigates the link between the optimal level of nonfinancial firms’ leverage and macroeconomic uncertainty. We develop a structural model of a firm’s value maximization problem that predicts that as macroeconomic uncertainty increases the firm will decrease its optimal level of borrowing. We test this proposition using a panel of non–financial US firms drawn from the COMPUSTAT qua...

Taxes, Leverage, and Stimuli of Investment under Uncertainty

This paper examines the effect of leverage on the effectiveness of a self-financed taxsubsidy program offered by a government in stimulating a firm’s investment. We show that the firm, be it levered or unlevered, has an incentive to hasten its investment because of the agency conflicts arising from the commitment made by the government on the terms of the tax-subsidy program. We further show th...

Speculation and Leverage

Speculative episodes typically involve leverage. For example, the well known tulipmania episode was accompanied by the introduction of foward contracts which allowed speculators to take leveraged positions in tulip bulbs. More recently, the Great Crash of 1929 was exacerbated by leveraged trusts which used leverage to buy stocks. These leveraged trusts could in turn be bought on margin which al...

Uncertainty and Uncertainty Management in EFL Translators

This study tried to examine EFL translators’ uncertainty and uncertainty management strategies through employing think aloud procedures. The participants of this study were some MA andBA translators selected from several universities in Iran. To this aim, a proficiency test was firstly administered among the volunteers. Then, think aloud protocol and retrospective interview were used to collect...

Learning, Leverage and Stability1