Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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E D A
r
E D
E
r
E D
D
r
r
D
E
r
D
r
E
M&M Proposition II
r
A
Risk free debt Risky debt
M&M Proposition 2
Bonds are almost risk-free at low debt levels
r
D
is independent of leverage
r
E
increases linearly with debt-equity ratios and the
increase in expected return reflects increased risk
As firms borrow more, the risk of default rises
r
D
starts to increase
r
E
increases more slowly (because the holders of
risky debt bear some of the firms business risk)
The Return on Equity
The increase in expected equity return
reflects increased risk
The increase in leverage increases the
amplitude of variation in cash flows
available to share-holders (the same
change in operating income is now
distributed among fewer shares)
We can understand the increase in risk in
terms of Betas
Leverage and Returns
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E D A
B
E D
E
B
E D
D
B
( )
D A A E
B B
E
D
B B + =
The Traditional Position
What did financial experts think before
M&M?
They used the concept of WACC
(weighted average cost of capital)
WACC is the expected return on the portfolio
of all the companys securities
WACC
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E D A
r
V
E
r
V
D
r WACC
WACC is the traditional view of capital
structure, risk and return.
WACC
.10=r
D
.20=r
E
.15=r
A
B
E
B
A
B
D
Risk
Expected
Return
Equity
All
assets
Debt
WACC
Example - A firm has $2 mil of debt and
100,000 of outstanding shares at $30
each. If they can borrow at 8% and the
stockholders require 15% return what is
the firms WACC?
D = $2 million
E = 100,000 shares X $30 per share = $3 million
V = D + E = 2 + 3 = $5 million
WACC
Example - A firm has $2 mil of debt and 100,000 of
outstanding shares at $30 each. If they can borrow at
8% and the stockholders require 15% return what is the
firms WACC?
D = $2 million
E = 100,000 shares X $30 per share = $3 million
V = D + E = 2 + 3 = $5 million
12.2% or 122 .
15 .
5
3
08 .
5
2
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E D
r
V
E
r
V
D
WACC
The Traditional Position
The return on equity (r
E
) is constant
WACC declines with increasing leverage
because r
D
<r
E
Given the two assumptions above, a firm
will minimize the cost of capital by issuing
almost 100% debt
This cant be correct!
r
D
V
r
D
r
E
r
A
=WACC
WACC (if r
E
does not change with
increases in leverage
)
An intermediate position
A moderate degree of financial leverage may
increase the return on equity (but less than
predicted by M&M proposition 2)
A high degree of financial leverage increases
the return on equity (but by more than predicted
by M&M proposition 2)
WACC then declines at first, then rises with
increasing leverage (U-shape)
Its minimum point is the point of optimal capital
structure.
r
D
E
r
D
r
E
WACC
WACC (intermediate view)
The intermediate position
Investors dont notice risk of moderate
borrowing
They wake up with debt is excessive
The problem with this view is that it confuses
default risk with financial risk.
Default risk may not be serious for moderate amounts
of leverage
Financial risk (in terms of increased volatility of return
and higher beta) will increase with leverage even with
no risk of default
Modigliani and Miller Revisited
M&M proposition 1: A firms total value is
independent of its capital structure
Assumptions needed for Prop 1 to hold:
1. Capital markets are perfect and complete
2. Before-tax operating profits are not affected by
capital structure
3. Corporate and personal taxes are not affected by
capital structure
4. The firms choice of capital structure does not
convey important information to the market
Modigliani and Miller Revisited
M&M Proposition 2: The return on equity
will rise as the debt-equity ratio rises in
order to compensate equity holders for the
additional (financial) risk.
Note: Proposition 2 does not rely on
default risk r
E
rises because of the rise in
financial risk
r
D
E
r
D
r
E
WACC
WACC (M&M view)
Financial Risk - Risk to shareholders resulting
from the use of debt.
Financial Leverage - Increase in the variability of
shareholder returns that comes from the use of
debt.
Interest Tax Shield- Tax savings resulting from
deductibility of interest payments.
Capital Structure and Corporate
Taxes
Example - You own all the equity in a company.
The company has no debt. The companys
annual cash flow is $1,000, before interest and
taxes. The corporate tax rate is 40%. You have
the option to exchange 1/2 of your equity
position for 10% bonds with a face value of
$1,000.
Should you do this and why?
Capital Structure and Corporate
Taxes
All Equity 1/2 Debt
EBIT 1,000 1,000
Interest Pmt 0 100
Pretax Income 1,000 900
Taxes @ 40% 400 360
Net Cash Flow $600 $540
Capital Structure and Corporate
Taxes
Total Cash Flow
All Equity = 600
*1/2 Debt = 640
(540 + 100)
Capital Structure
PV of Tax Shield =
(assume perpetuity)
D x r
D
x Tc
r
D
= D x Tc
Example:
Tax benefit = 1000 x (.10) x (.40) = $40
PV of 40 perpetuity = 40 / .10 = $400
PV Tax Shield = D x Tc = 1000 x .4 = $400
Capital Structure
Firm Value =
Value of All Equity Firm + PV Tax Shield
Example
All Equity Value = 600 / .10 = 6,000
PV Tax Shield = 400
Firm Value with 1/2 Debt = $6,400
U.S. Tax Code
Allows corporations to deduct interest
payments on debt as an expense
Dividend payments to stockholders are not
deductible
Differential treatment results in a net
benefit to financial leverage (debt)
U.S. Tax Code
Personal taxes bias the other way (toward equity)
Income from bonds generally comes as interest and
is taxed at the personal income tax rate
Income from equity comes partly from dividends and
partly from capital gains
Capital gains are often taxed at a lower rate and the
tax is deferred until the stock is sold and the gain
realized.
If the owner of the stock dies no capital gain tax is
paid
On balance, common stock returns are taxed at
lower rates than debt returns
U.S. Tax Rates
Top bracket (over $250,000 for a married
couple)
Personal rates: 35%
Capital gains: 18% (holding period of 18mos)
If stock is held for less than 1 year capital gain is
taxed at the personal rate
If stock is held for over 1 year but less than 18mos
the capital gains tax is between 18-35%
Capital Structure and Financial
Distress
Costs of Financial Distress - Costs arising from
bankruptcy or distorted business decisions before
bankruptcy.
Market Value = Value if all Equity Financed
+ PV Tax Shield
- PV Costs of Financial Distress
Weighted Average Cost of Capital
without taxes (traditional view)
r
D
E
r
D
r
E
Includes Bankruptcy Risk
WACC
Financial Distress
Debt/Total Assets
M
a
r
k
e
t
V
a
l
u
e
o
f
T
h
e
F
i
r
m
Value of
unlevered
firm
PV of interest
tax shields
Costs of
financial distress
Value of levered firm
Optimal amount
of debt
Maximum value of firm
M&M with taxes and bankruptcy
WACC now is more hump-shaped (similar
to the traditional view though for different
reasons).
The minimum WACC occurs where the
stock price is maximized.
Thus, the same capital structure that
maximizes stock price also minimizes the
WACC.
Financial Choices
Trade-off Theory - Theory that capital structure is
based on a trade-off between tax savings and
distress costs of debt.
Pecking Order Theory - Theory stating that firms
prefer to issue debt rather than equity if internal
finance is insufficient.
Pecking Order Theory
The announcement of a stock issue drives down the stock
price because investors believe managers are more likely to
issue when shares are overpriced.
Therefore firms prefer internal finance since funds can be
raised without sending adverse signals.
If external finance is required, firms issue debt first and equity
as a last resort.
The most profitable firms borrow less not because they have
lower target debt ratios but because they don't need external
finance.
Pecking Order Theory
Some Implications:
Internal equity may be better than external
equity.
Financial slack is valuable.
If external capital is required, debt is better.
(There is less room for difference in opinions
about what debt is worth).