On the other hand, there is also some evidence that prices and wages are more volatile in developing countries, consistent with the hypothesis that they are more, not less, flexible. It is the imperfections of capital markets which shape differences in how shocks are absorbed, or amplified, in the economy. Equity markets are better at risk-sharing than debt markets, and developing countries rely more heavily on debt. Countries with very high debt-equity ratios (as was the case for many East Asian countries before the 1997 financial crises) become highly vulnerable to certain kinds of shocks, and the process of adjustment, which entails recapitalizing financial institutions, is much more complicated.