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2002, Prentice Hall, Inc
2002, Prentice Hall, Inc
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Capital Gain
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Capital Gain
Dilemma: Should the firm use retained earnings for: a) Financing profitable capital investments? b) Paying dividends to stockholders?
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If we retain earnings for profitable investments, dividend yield will be zero, but the stock price will increase, resulting in a higher capital gain.
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If we pay dividends,
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If we pay dividends, stockholders receive an immediate cash reward for investing, but the capital gain will decrease, since this cash is not invested in the firm.
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With perfect markets, investors are concerned only with total returns, and do not care whether returns come in the form of capital gains or dividend yields.
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With perfect markets, investors are concerned only with total returns, and do not care whether returns come in the form of capital gains or dividend yields.
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With perfect markets, investors are concerned only with total returns, and do not care whether returns come in the form of capital gains or dividend yields. Therefore, one dividend policy is as good as another.
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Do Dividends Matter?
Other Considerations: 1) Residual Dividend Theory: The firm pays a dividend only if it has retained earnings left after financing all profitable investment opportunities. This would maximize capital gains for stockholders and minimize flotation costs of issuing new common stock.
Do Dividends Matter?
2) Clientele Effects: Different investor clienteles prefer different dividend payout levels. Some firms, such as utilities, pay out over 70% of their earnings as dividends. These attract a clientele that prefers high dividends. Growth-oriented firms which pay low (or no) dividends attract a clientele that prefers price appreciation to dividends.
Do Dividends Matter?
3) Information Effects: Unexpected dividend increases usually cause stock prices to rise, and unexpected dividend decreases cause stock prices to fall. Dividend changes convey information to the market concerning the firms future prospects.
Do Dividends Matter?
4) Agency Costs: Paying dividends may reduce agency costs between managers and shareholders. Paying dividends reduces retained earnings and forces the firm to raise external equity financing. Raising external equity subjects the firm to scrutiny of regulators (SEC) and investors and therefore helps monitor the performance of managers.
Do Dividends Matter?
5) Expectations Theory: Investors form expectations concerning the amount of a firms upcoming dividend. Expectations are based on past dividends, expected earnings, investment and financing decisions, the economy, etc. The stock price will likely react if the actual dividend is different from the expected dividend.
Dividend Policies
1) Constant Dividend Payout Ratio: if directors declare a constant payout ratio of, for example, 30%, then for every dollar of earnings available to stockholders, 30 cents would be paid out as dividends. The ratio remains constant over time, but the dollar value of dividends changes as earnings change.
Dividend Policies
2) Stable Dollar Dividend Policy: the firm tries to pay a fixed dollar dividend each quarter. Firms and stockholders prefer stable dividends. Decreasing the dividend sends a negative signal!
Dividend Policies
3) Small Regular Dividend plus YearEnd Extras The firm pays a stable quarterly dividend and includes an extra yearend dividend in prosperous years. By identifying the year-end dividend as extra, directors hope to avoid signaling that this is a permanent dividend.
Jan.4
Declare dividend
Jan.30 Feb.1
Ex-div. Record date date
Mar. 11
Payment date
Dividend Payments
1) Declaration Date: the board of directors declares the dividend, determines the amount of the dividend, and decides on the payment date.
Jan.4
Declare dividend
Jan.30 Feb.1
Ex-div. Record date date
Mar. 11
Payment date
Dividend Payments
2) Ex-Dividend Date:
Jan.4
Declare dividend
Jan.30 Feb.1
Ex-div. Record date date
Mar. 11
Payment date
Dividend Payments
2) Ex-Dividend Date: To receive the dividend, you have to buy the stock before the ex-dividend date. On this date, the stock begins trading ex-dividend and the stock price falls approximately by the amount of the dividend.
Jan.4
Declare dividend
Jan.30 Feb.1
Ex-div. Record date date
Mar. 11
Payment date
Dividend Payments
3) Date of Record:
Jan.4
Declare dividend
Jan.30 Feb.1
Ex-div. Record date date
Mar. 11
Payment date
Dividend Payments
3) Date of Record: 2 days after the exdividend date, the firm receives the list of stockholders eligible for the dividend. Often, a bank trust department acts as registrar and maintains this list for the firm.
Jan.4
Declare dividend
Jan.30 Feb.1
Ex-div. Record date date
Mar. 11
Payment date
Dividend Payments
4) Payment Date: date on which the firm mails the dividend checks to the shareholders of record.
Before the 25% stock dividend: EPS = 6,000,000/1,000,000 = $6 P/E = P/6 = 10, so P = $60 per share. Value = $60 x 120 shares = $7,200 After the 25% stock dividend: # shares = 1,000,000 x 1.25 = 1,250,000. EPS = 6,000,000/1,250,000 = $4.80 P/E = P/4.80 = 10, so P = $48 per share. Investor now has 120 x 1.25 = 150 shares. Value = $48 x 150 = $7,200
Stock Dividends
In-class Problem
shares outstanding: 250,000 net income = $750,000; stock price = $84 50% stock dividend. What is the new stock price?
Hint:
P/E =
Before the 50% stock dividend: EPS = 750,000 / 250,000 = $3 P/E = 84 / 3 = 28.
After the 50% stock dividend: # shares = 250,000 x 1.50 = 375,000. EPS = 750,000 / 375,000 = $2 P/E = P / 2 = 28, so P = $56 per share. (a 50% stock dividend is equivalent to a 3-for-2 stock split)
Stock Repurchases
Stock Repurchases may be a good substitute for cash dividends. If the firm has excess cash, why not buy back common stock?
Stock Repurchases
Stock Repurchases may be a good substitute for cash dividends. If the firm has excess cash, why not buy back common stock?
Stock Repurchases
Repurchases drive up the stock price, producing capital gains for shareholders. Repurchases increase leverage, and can be used to move toward the optimal capital structure. Repurchases signal positive information to the market - which increases stock price.
Stock Repurchases
Repurchases may be used to avoid a hostile takeover. Example: T. Boone Pickens attempted raids on Phillips Petroleum and Unocal in 1985. Both were unsuccessful because the target firms undertook stock repurchases.
Stock Repurchases
Methods: Buy shares in the open market through a broker. Buy a large block by negotiating the purchase with a large block holder, usually an institution (targeted stock repurchase). Tender offer: offer to pay a specific price to all current stockholders.