Exam 15: Dividends

Keys Financial has done extremely well in recent years, and its stock now sells for $175 per share. Management wants to get the price down to a more typical level, which it thinks is $25 per share. What stock split would be required to get to this price, assuming the transaction has no effect on the total market value? Put another way, how many new shares should be given per one old share?

Other things held constant, the higher a firm's target payout ratio, the higher its expected growth rate should be.

Some investors prefer dividends to retained earnings (and the capital gains retained earnings bring), while others prefer retained earnings to dividends. Other things held constant, it makes sense for a company to establish its dividend policy and stick to it, and then it will attract a clientele of investors who like that policy.

There are two types of dividend reinvestment plans. Under one type of plan, the firm uses the cash that would have been paid as dividends to buy stock on the open market. Under the other type, the company issues new stock, keeps the cash that would have been paid out, and in effect sells new stock to those investors who choose to reinvest their dividends.

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

Whited Products recently completed a 4-for-1 stock split. Prior to the split, its stock sold for $120 per share. If the firm's total market value increased by 5% as a result of increased liquidity and favorable signaling effects, what was the stock price following the split?

If a firm uses the residual dividend model to set dividend policy, then dividends are determined as a residual after providing for the equity required to fund the capital budget. Under this model, the higher the firm's debt ratio, the lower its payout ratio will be, other things held constant.

The federal government sometimes taxes dividends and capital gains at different rates. Other things held constant, an increase in the tax rate on dividends relative to that on capital gains would logically lead to an increase in dividend payout ratios.

Banerjee Inc. wants to maintain a target capital structure with 30% debt and 70% equity. Its forecasted net income is $550,000, and its board of directors has decreed that no new stock can be issued during the coming year. If the firm follows the residual dividend model, what is the maximum capital budget that is consistent with maintaining the target capital structure?

If a firm uses the residual dividend model to set dividend policy, then dividends are determined as a residual after providing for the equity required to fund the capital budget. Under this model, the better the firm's investment opportunities, the lower its payout ratio will be, other things held constant.

Suppose a firm that has been earning $2 and paying a dividend of $1.00, or a 50% dividend payout, announces that it is increasing the dividend to $1.50. The stock price then jumps from $20 to $30. Some people would argue that this is proof that investors prefer dividends to retained earnings. Miller and Modigliani would agree with this argument.

Firm M is a mature company in a mature industry. Its annual net income and cash flows are consistently high and stable. However, M's growth prospects are quite limited, so its capital budget is small relative to its net income. Firm N is a relatively new company in a new and growing industry. Its markets and products have not stabilized, so its annual operating income fluctuates considerably. However, N has substantial growth opportunities, and its capital budget is expected to be large relative to its net income for the foreseeable future. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

Which of the following statements about dividend policies is CORRECT?

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

Your firm uses the residual dividend model to set dividend policy. Market interest rates suddenly rise, and stock prices decline. Your firm's earnings, investment opportunities, and capital structure do not change. If the firm follows the residual dividend model, then its dividend payout ratio would increase.

The announcement of an increase in the cash dividend should, according to MM, lead to an increase in the price of the firm's stock, other things held constant.

Which of the following does NOT normally influence a firm's dividend policy decision?

It has been argued that investors prefer high-payout companies because dividends are more certain (less risky) than the capital gains that are supposed to come from retained earnings. However, Miller and Modigliani say that this argument is incorrect, and they call it the "bird-in-the-hand fallacy." MM base their argument on the belief that most dividends are reinvested in stocks, hence are exposed to the same risks as reinvested earnings.

Ross-Jordan Financial has suffered losses in recent years, and its stock currently sells for only $0.50 per share. Management wants to use a reverse split to get the price up to a more "reasonable" level, which it thinks is $25 per share. How many of the old shares must be given up for one new share to achieve the $25 price, assuming this transaction has no effect on total market value?

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?