Question 5: Evaluate the Put-Warrant/Convertible Bond proposal. Does it solve Intel’s capital structure dilemma? What arguments might be made in favor of it?
Intel’s capital structure dilemma was that it was holding too much cash on hand. Eventually, there were three available strategies or alternatives that Intel could undertake in terms of cash disbursement policies. First, it could continue or expand its market-repurchase program. Secondly, Intel could declare dividends to its shareholders on existing stocks. The last strategy is to put together a package of two unique securities: 1) A distribution of a two-year put warrant to its existing shareholders. 2) A distribution of 10-year convertible subordinated debentures to new
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In this sense, Intel is hence unlikely to be able to reduce their cash holdings via the put-warrant strategy. http://www.derivativesstrategy.com/magazine/archive/1998/0598col1.asp However, since this is a distribution, and not sale, of the warrants, there are no tangible benefits for Intel if the stock price at the expiration date is above $50. It does not stand to gain from any sale proceeds since the warrants were distributed instead of sold.
The issuance of convertible debt will result in even more cash holdings for Intel, an additional $1 billion. This, at face value, does not solve Intel’s capital structure dilemma of having too much cash. However, Intel can afford to incur more debt financing, since it has relatively low long-term debt. By doing so, its long term debt ratio (using 1991 figure) would change to:
Long Term Debt Ratio = (Long Term Debt)/(Total Assets) = (0.363 + 1)/6.292
= 21.7%
This figure could be excessively high, as the industry average is 14.42%. It must be noted that after two years, debt holders would be entitled to convert these convertible bonds into Intel common stock. Should it be so, this would once again bring down the long term debt ratio, and increase Intel’s shareholder’s equity.
Without warrant/bond proposal
Proposal implemented
Stock prices above $501
Stock prices below $502
Industry Average
D-E Ratio
363/4558 = 7.96%
29.9%a
6.53%c
38.3%e
Cash Ratio
* We do not recommend taking on debt beyond the $75M needed to repurchase stock.
Intel operates in an industry, which is comprised of products involving high research and development costs, continuous product improvement and new innovations. The companies in the industry are having high economies of scale and are knowledge based. It helps both the service and manufacturing sectors in the growth process. Intel is positioned as a leading company with its ability to adapt to technological changes and its strong relations with other businesses who are major buyers of integrated circuits. The industry in which it operates is very competitive and comes with high risks as
Bed, Bath and Beyond (BBBY) currently has $400 million more in cash than they need for ongoing growth and operations requirements. While the company is financially sound analysts and investors worry about the company’s capital structure decisions. Investors do not want to see that much cash on the books and worry that the current capital structure is not the most effective for the future. They prefer that BBBY change their capital structure by paying out excess cash and issuing debt. This could allow BBBY to improve their return on equity and raise earnings per share. Given the low interest rates available it seems like the perfect time for BBBY to add debt to its capital structure. Until now they
Convertible debt and debt with stock warrants differ in that: (1) if the market price of the stock increases sufficiently, the issuer can force conversion of convertible debt into common stock by calling the issue for redemption, but the issuer cannot force exercise of the warrants; (2) convertible debt may be essentially debt, whereas debt with stock warrants is debt with the additional right to acquire equity; and (3) the conversion option and the convertible debt are inseparable and, in the absence of separate transferability, do not have separate values established in the market; whereas debt with detachable stock warrants can be separated into debt and the right to purchase stock, each having separate values in the market.
o Cost of debt in this case is 12.5% though MCI can raise $ 100 million more with this option in comparison to option (a) above. Servicing this debt would be a significant drain on the cash flow. o Please see Exhibit 3. (c) $600 million Convertible offering @ 7.625% 20 year with conversion at 54 per share o Using this option MCI can raise $ 100 million more than option (b) at 4.88% lower rate of interest. It also gives MCI an option to convert it to equity once the stock price reaches 54 (it is currently 47). Based on previous convertible offerings (As per exhibit 6 of case, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1982), MCI has been converting it to equity within 18 months because of its high growth. As higher growth is projected for the next few years (Exhibit 9 of case), MCI is expected to convert this $600 million offering to equity, thereby reducing its leverage. o This option allows to finance its current activities and match capital inflows with expected investment outlays in the near future. It also allows MCI the option to eliminate the cash flow drain from servicing the debt once the stock price increases. o As per Exhibit 3 attached here, this offering will provide capital to meet the external financing needs for 1983.
With the three debt instruments in the case, hundreds of millions of dollars would become readily available to the company and be at their disposal. Each of the financing opportunities provides their own money in different forms. Great companies need these different financing ideas to
6. If the company decides to go ahead with the targeted stock issue, what specific provisions or features should the stock include to ensure maximum value creation? How closely would you model USX’s targeted stock on GM’s alphabet stock?
James Gitanga was not sure about the unusual capital structure of the Company, avoiding the long-term debt. We believe that the long-term capital structure across the industry was pre-determined by the high capital expenditures and steady cash inflows. Thus, issuing long-term debt was more preferable. Besides, by issuing debt they would enjoy the tax shield since interest on long-term debt is tax-deductible.
As shown in the financial income statement (Exhibit3), Intel Corp. (INTC) has a capital structure consisting most of equity. Intel has very little debt in its capital structure and the cost of debt would have only a marginal effect on the overall cost of capital. The current capital structure of Intel is not optimal yet since optimal capital structure is making minimum weighted-average cost of capital.
This case raises many interesting questions concerning the record setting issuance of corporate debt by WorldCom, Inc. (“WorldCom”). Both the surprisingly voluminous structure of the proposed issuance and the foreboding macro-economic climate in which it was slated spark concerns over the risk and cost of the move. One of the first questions that must be addressed is whether WorldCom’s timing was appropriate. Next, the company’s choice of structure for the bond issuance must be analyzed. Finally, the cost of issuing each tranche of debt must be estimated in order to determine how much WorldCom is actually giving up to achieve the $6 billion in funds.
Summit Partners proposes to FleetCor Technologies (later preferred as “FleetCor” or the “Company”) an investment into FleetCor for the total amount of $44.9 million in return for a post transaction ownership of 54.2% in the “Company” and coming down to 46% ownership in the company after newly created stock options for management equivalent to 15% ownership in the company has been completely executed and fully diluted. This investment is in the form of convertible preferred stock with an 8% accrued interest, compounding annually. As the transaction come through, Summit’s prefer stock will be treated equal-footing in
Intel realized the advantage of partnering with IBM and initiated projects like “Crush” and “Checkmate” to counter Motorola to ensure microprocessor supremacy. With the success of securing IBM contract along with more wins, Intel was on set on track to ensure industry dominance.
As much as market cap measures to what’s related to the company’s equity value, a firm’s decision based on its capital structure estimates more significantly to how the value of that company is allocated not only for the return on equity but accounting for debt as well. Most economists would refer to capital structure as the mix of a company’s long-term debt, the current portion of it, and of common and preferred stock. Furthermore, large tech-companies today have been taking advantage of capital structure optimizations as it is placed shoulder to shoulder to increasing return on equity thus lowering weighted average costs of capital for long-term investment. In other words, it is how a corporate manager should base his/her decisions on financing the company’s assets and operations through various growth prospects and forecast estimates. We will begin to further evaluate the composition of Google’s capital structure by focusing on the company’s key statistics and research data from the selected top online providers of financial statements, including Google!
MCI would be better to keep its capital structure of 55% debt. The cost of equity is high because raising more equity will dilute the value for existing shareholders. Due to the fact that MCI has a high leverage, it is not feasible to issue debt. Additionally, MCI has exhausted the line of credit from the banks and used convertible debentures frequently. MCI belongs to a competitive and regulatory industry. The high leverage will limit its potential to grow. In exhibit 8, MCI does not have a bond rating. The convertible bond allowed the company to raise capital and convert to equity later. The interest coverage ratio of AT&T is 3.6X whereas that of MCI is 4.2X. After increasing the market share, the company can obtain a bond rating by decreasing its financial leverage.
Most corporate financing decisions in practice reduce to a choice between debt and equity. The finance manager wishing to fund a new project, but reluctant to cut dividends or to make a rights issue, which leads to the decision of borrowing options. The issue with regards to shareholder objectives being met by the management in making financing decisions has come to become a major issue of recent times. This relates to understanding the concept of the agency problem. It deals with the separation of ownership and control of an organisation within a financial context. The financial manager can raise long-term funds internally, from the company’s cash flow, or externally, via the capital market, the market for funds