Trade-off theory: The trade-off theory of cash holdings states that the optimal liquidity level is a trade-off between the costs and the benefits of holding cash. The most obvious benefits of cash are that cash reduces the exposure to financial distress; cash does not disrupt investment policy when financial constraints are met, and cash lowers the costs of raising
external funds or liquidating assets. The major cost incurred by holding cash on the other hand is the opportunity cost of the capital invested in liquid assets (Ferreira and Vilela, 2004). raising external funds or liquidating existing assets as it acts like a buffer between the firm sources and uses of funds. The traditional marginal cost of holding cash is the
opportunity cost of the capital due to the low return on liquid assets. Below we provide a brief review of the firm characteristics that, according to trade-off theory,
are relevant to firm cash holdings decisions.