Firm Size and Financial-Leverage Choice. Evidence from an Emerging Economy

Abstract

This paper intends to study the effect of firm size on financial leverage choice while controlling for determinats like profitability and performance.Fixed effect regression model has been employed over an unbalanced panel data of non-financial firms of Pakistan from 2005-2014.Results report negative relation between firm size and leverage ratios; implying less dependence of firms on debt.Profitability shows negative significant association with short term debt and total debt while performance reports insignificant relation.The study reveals that in case of emerging country like Pakistan which is politically and economically instable; results tend to affirm a high influence of pecking order theory in firms financing patterns.