An analyst at a company notes that its cost of debt is far below that of equity. He concludes that it is important for the firm to maintain the ability to increase its borrowing because if it cannot borrow, it will be forced to use more expensive equity to finance some projects. This might lead it to reject some projects that would have seemed attractive if evaluated at the lower cost of debt. How do you balance the amount of equity and debt? Explain the significance of maintaining the ability to increase borrowing capacity for a company with a lower cost of debt compared to equity. How does this impact project evaluation and investment decisions, and what role does the concept of cost of capital play in such considerations?

An analyst at a company notes that its cost of debt is far below that of equity. He concludes that it is important for the firm to maintain the ability to increase its borrowing because if it cannot borrow, it will be forced to use more expensive equity to finance some projects. This might lead it to reject some projects that would have seemed attractive if evaluated at the lower cost of debt. How do you balance the amount of equity and debt? Explain the significance of maintaining the ability to increase borrowing capacity for a company with a lower cost of debt compared to equity. How does this impact project evaluation and investment decisions, and what role does the concept of cost of capital play in such considerations?

Financial Management: Theory & Practice

16th Edition

ISBN:9781337909730

Author:Brigham

Publisher:Brigham

Chapter21: Dynamic Capital Structures And Corporate Valuation

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1MC: David Lyons, CEO of Lyons Solar Technologies, is concerned about his firm’s level of debt financing....

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David Lyons, CEO of Lyons Solar Technologies, is concerned about his firms level of debt financing. The company uses short-term debt to finance its temporary working capital needs, but it does not use any permanent (long-term) debt. Other solar technology companies have debt, and Mr. Lyons wonders why they use debt and what its effects are on stock prices. To gain some insights into the matter, he poses the following questions to you, his recently hired assistant: Now assume that Firms L and U are both subject to a 25% corporate tax rate. Using the data given in part b, repeat the analysis called for in parts b(1) and b(2) using assumptions from the MM model with taxes.
David Lyons, CEO of Lyons Solar Technologies, is concerned about his firm’s level of debt financing. The company uses short-term debt to finance its temporary working capital needs, but it does not use any permanent (long-term) debt. Other solar technology companies have debt, and Mr. Lyons wonders why they use debt and what its effects are on stock prices. To gain some insights into the matter, he poses the following questions to you, his recently hired assistant: Who were Modigliani and Miller (MM), and what assumptions are embedded in the MM and Miller models?
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QuickBank has decided to lower the interest rate it charges on business loans in order to attract more business. It has succeeded in boosting the number of loan applications, but it finds that many of the applicants turn out to be very poor credit risks. This illustrates the problem known as adverse selection moral hazard the principal-agent porblem diversification