Intangible assets and capital structure: the influence of trademarks and patents on the leverage

Abstract

Regarding capital structure theory, one question still remains: is there an optimal capital structure? If so, what are its determinants? The finance literature presents several variables which could influence this structure. Recent studies indicate that research & development (R&D) and advertisement expenses play an important role on leverage, which suggests the influence of intangible assets on capital structure. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the relation between capital structure and proxy variables of intangible assets (patents quantity, patents' average life cycle, and trademarks quantity). The results show a negative and significant influence of patents on the leverage of firms. These results corroborate the hypothesis that innovation-intensive firms have lower levels of leverage.