Real Option Exercise: Empirical Evidence

• DOI: 10.1093/rfs/hhz092
• Publication Date: 2019-08-16T11:23:39Z
• Authors: Paul H Décaire; Erik P Gilje; Jérôme P Taillard
• Keywords: 0502 economics and business; 05 social sciences

Abstract We study when and why firms exercise real options. Using detailed project-level investment data, we find that the likelihood that a firm exercises a real option is strongly related to peer exercise behavior. Peer exercise decisions are as important in explaining exercise behavior as variables commonly associated with standard real option theories, such as volatility. We identify peer effects using localized exogenous variation in peer project exercise decisions and find evidence consistent with information externalities being important for exercise behavior. (JEL G30, G31, G32)