Other theories of capital structure include the agency cost theory, the free cash flow
theory, the market timing theory and the signalling theory. The agency cost theory
( Jensen and Mackling, 1976) contended that an optimal capital structure of a firm is
determined by the agency cost involved, which is a result of the conflict of interest
among different beneficiaries. Also, the free cash flow theory ( Jensen, 1986) observed
that unless cash flow in a company is given back to its investors, managers are
motivated to cause their firms to grow further than their optimal size by spending on
activities or projects, even though such projects might yield negative net present value
(NPV). Debt is therefore used as a device for controlling free cash that cannot be
profitably invested in the company