Financing choices under pecking order theory follow a hierarchy based on visibility to investors with internally generated capital being the most preferred, debt being the next best choice, and external equity being the least preferred financing option.

Pecking order theory is related to the signals management sends to investors through its financing choices. Financing choices follow a hierarchy based on visibility to investors with internally generated funds being the least visible and most preferred, and issuing new equity as the most visible and least preferred. Under static trade-off theory, higher tax brackets result in greater tax savings from using debt financing. Under MM’s propositions (assuming no taxes), capital structure is irrelevant and there is no optimal level of debt financing.

Signaling theory results from asymmetric information, which refers to the fact that managers have more information about a company’s future prospects than the firm’s owners and creditors. Since managers are reluctant to sell new stock if they think the stock is undervalued, but very willing to sell stock if they think the stock is overvalued, selling stock sends a negative signal about a firm’s future prospects. Pecking order theory, which is related to signaling theory, suggests that managers choose methods of financing based on the visibility of signals they send. Raising equity is the least preferred method of financing under pecking order theory, and it sends a negative signal.