Stock Options and Internal Capital Allocation Decisions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18059/jmi.v2i2.24Keywords:
Stock options, Internal capital allocationAbstract
This paper examines how executive stock options affect firms’ internal capital allocation decisions.  I find evidence at both the segment level and the firm level that conglomerate CEOs respond to option incentives by tilting toward high-risk segments when allocating capital expenditures across segments, which is consistent with the risk-seeking incentives associated with the convex payoff structure of options.  The results also suggest that corporate governance, as reflected in an index of anti-takeover amendments, has a substantial impact on firms’ investment choices. 
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