compensation and firm performance. Agrawal and Mandelker (1987) found that executive holdings of stock and options in a firm reduce managerial incentive problems. Akhigbe et al. (1995) suggest little support that executive compensation reduces executive shareholder agency cost and in turn enhanced firm value. Core et al. (1999) found that CEOs at firms with greater agency problems performed worse and their CEOs received greatercompensation. Guay(1999) posits ‘‘firms provide managers with incentives to invest in risky projects when the potential loss from underinvestment in valuable risk-increasing projects is greatest’’ (p. 66). Similarly, Attaway (2000) found only weak support for this position, but he did not include stock options as compensation