A company has a financial objective of maintaining a gearing ratio of between 30% and 40%, where gearing is defined as debt/equity at market values.
The company has been affected by a recent economic downturn leading to a shortage of liquidity and a fall in the share price during 20X1.
On 31 December 20X1 the company was funded by:
• Share capital of 4 million $1 shares trading at $4.0 per share.
• Debt of $7 million floating rate borrowings.
The directors plan to raise $2 million additional borrowings in order to improve liquidity.
They expect this to reassure investors about the company's liquidity position and result in a rise in the share price to $4.2 per share.
Is the planned increase in borrowings expected to help the company meet its gearing objective?
LPM Company is based in Country C. whose currency is the CS
It has entered Into a contract to buy a machine in three months' time. The supplier is overseas and the payment is to be made in a different currency from the CS
The treasurer at LPM Company is considering using a money market hedge to manage the transaction risk associated with a payment.
The assumptions of interest rate parity apply
Which THREE of the following statements concerning the use of a money market hedge for this supplier payment are correct?
A company is currently all-equity financed.
The directors are planning to raise long term debt to finance a new project.
The debt:equity ratio after the bond issue would be 30:60 based on estimated market values.
According to Modigliani and Miller's Theory of Capital Structure without tax, the company's cost of equity would:
An all equity financed company reported earnings for the year ending 31 December 20X1 of $8 million.
One of its financial objectives is to increase earnings by 5% each year.
In the year ending 31 December 20X2 it financed a project by issuing a bond with a $1 million nominal value and a coupon rate of 4%.
The company pays corporate income tax at 20%.
If the company is to achieve its earnings target for the year ending 31 December 20X2, what is the minimum operating profit (profit before interest and tax) that it must achieve?
Company A plans to acquire Company B.
Both firms operate as wholesalers in the fashion industry, supplying a wide range of ladies' clothing shops.
Company A sources mainly from the UK, Company B imports most of its supplies from low-income overseas countries.
Significant synergies are expected in management costs and warehousing, and in economies of bulk purchasing.
Which of the following is likely to be the single most important issue facing Company A in post-merger integration?
Providers of debt finance often insist on covenants being entered into when providing debt finance for companies.
Agreement and adherence to the specific covenants is often a condition of the loan provided by the lender.
Which THREE of the following statements are true in respect of covenants?
B has a S3 million loan outstanding on which the interested rate is reset every 6 months for the following 6 month and the interested is payable at the end of that 6 month period. The next 6 monthly reset period starts in 3 months and the treasurer of B thinks interested rates are likely to raise between and then.
Current 6-month rates are 6.4% and the treasurer can get a rate of 6.9% for a 6-month forward rate agreement (FRA) starting in 3 months time. By transacting an TRA the treasurer can lock in a rate today of 6.9%.
If interested rates are 7.5% in 3 months’ time, what will the net amount payable be?
Give your answer to the nearest thousand dollars.
A company is currently all-equity financed with a cost of equity of 9%.
It plans to raise debt with a pre-tax cost of 3% in order to buy back equity shares.
After the buy-back, the debt-to-equity ratio at market values will be 1 to 2.
The corporate income tax rate is 25%.
Which of the following represents the company's cost of equity after the buy-back according to Modigliani and Miller's Theory of Capital Structure with taxes?
A listed company in a high growth industry, where innovation is a key driver of success has always operated a residual dividend policy, resulting in volatility in dividends due to periodic significant investments in research and development.
The company has recently come under pressure from some investors to change its dividend policy so that shareholders receive a consistent growing dividend. In addition, they suggested that the company should use more debt finance.
If the suggested change is made to the financial policies, which THREE of the following statements are true?
Which of the following best explains why the interest rate parity model is highly effective in practice?