Investigating the effect of growth and financial strength variables on the financial leverage: Evidence from the Tehran Stock Exchange

The primary objective of this study is to investigate the effect of growth and financial strength variables on the financial leverage for some listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange. For this purpose, a sample of 700 firm-years among listed companies in the Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2006-2010 was examined. In the present study, the growth variables, including asset growth, profit growth and sales growth; and financial strength calculated by the Altman Z-bankruptcy model have been considered as independent variables. In addition, the ratios of long-term debt to total assets, long-term debt to fixed assets, total long-term debt and short-term receivable facilities to equity capital and total long-term debt and short-term receivable facilities to total assets are used as measures of financial leverage and dependent variables. The results indicate that there is a negative and significant relationship between assets growth and some indexes of financial leverage. There is also a positive and significant relationship between the variables of profit growth, sales growth and financial strength with financial leverage measures.