1. Introduction
It is generally accepted the important role played by small and medium-sized firms
(SMEs) in the development of the world economy, as sources of innovation and employment,
and their dynamic relationship of interdependence with larger firms (Audretsch, 2002; Ellis
and Tailor, 2011).
As generally in European economy, the segment of SMEs in the Portuguese market
is the main generator of employment and productivity, assuming a pillar of corporate
structures. In fact, these companies are perfectly dominant in the national business
structure. According to the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics, SMEs represented
over 99 percent of the business units operating in the country and were responsible for
77 percent of the jobs and for more than one-half of the total turnover, in 2011.
Considering the specificities of this business segment, the expansion and sophistication
of financial markets and the high cost of credit for this segment, the analysis of their
financial decisions is of particular relevance.
The corporate finance literature presents traditionally results on long-term financial
decisions, including capital structure, investments, dividends and company valuations