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FIN 360: Corporate Finance

FIN 360: Corporate Finance. Topic 13: Distributions to Shareholders Larry Schrenk, Instructor. Topics. Dividends Stock Repurchases Stock Splits. Different Types of Dividends. Many companies pay a regular cash dividend. Public companies often pay quarterly.

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FIN 360: Corporate Finance

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  1. FIN 360: Corporate Finance Topic 13: Distributions to Shareholders Larry Schrenk, Instructor

  2. Topics • Dividends • Stock Repurchases • Stock Splits

  3. Different Types of Dividends • Many companies pay a regular cash dividend. • Public companies often pay quarterly. • Sometimes firms will pay an extra cash dividend. • The extreme case would be a liquidating dividend. • Companies will often declare stock dividends. • No cash leaves the firm. • The firm increases the number of shares outstanding. • Some companies declare a dividend in kind. • Wrigley’s Gum sends a box of chewing gum. • Dundee Crematoria offers shareholders discounted cremations.

  4. Procedure for Cash Dividend 25 Oct. 1 Nov. 2 Nov. 5 Nov. 7 Dec. … Ex-Dividend Date Declaration Date Cum-Dividend Date Record Date Payment Date Declaration Date: The Board of Directors declares a payment of dividends. Cum-Dividend Date: Buyer of stock still receives the dividend. Ex-Dividend Date: Seller of the stock retains the dividend. Record Date: The corporation prepares a list of all individuals believed to be stockholders as of this date.

  5. Price Behavior • In a perfect world, the stock price will fall by the amount of the dividend on the ex-dividend date. -t … -2 -1 0 +1 +2 … $P $P - div The price drops by the amount of the cash dividend. Ex-Dividend Date

  6. Irrelevance of Dividend Policy • A compelling case can be made that dividend policy is irrelevant. • Since investors do not need dividends to convert shares to cash; they will not pay higher prices for firms with higher dividends. • In other words, dividend policy will have no impact on the value of the firm because investors can create whatever income stream they prefer by using homemade dividends.

  7. Homemade Dividends • Bianchi Inc. is a $42 stock about to pay a $2 cash dividend. • Bob Investor owns 80 shares and prefers a $3 dividend. • Bob’s homemade dividend strategy: • Sell 2 shares ex-dividend homemade dividends Cash from dividend $160 Cash from selling stock $80 Total Cash $240 Value of Stock Holdings $40 × 78 = $3,120 $3 Dividend $240 $0 $240 $39 × 80 = $3,120

  8. Dividend Policy is Irrelevant • In the above example, Bob Investor began with a total wealth of $3,360: • After a $3 dividend, his total wealth is still $3,360: • After a $2 dividend and sale of 2 ex-dividend shares, his total wealth is still $3,360:

  9. Dividends and Investment Policy • Firms should never forgo positive NPV projects to increase a dividend (or to pay a dividend for the first time). • Recall that one of the assumptions underlying the dividend-irrelevance argument is: “The investment policy of the firm is set ahead of time and is not altered by changes in dividend policy.”

  10. Repurchase of Stock • Instead of declaring cash dividends, firms can rid themselves of excess cash through buying shares of their own stock. • Recently, share repurchase has become an important way of distributing earnings to shareholders.

  11. Assets Liabilities & Equity A. Original balance sheet Cash $150,000 Debt 0 Other Assets 850,000 Equity 1,000,000 Value of Firm 1,000,000 Value of Firm 1,000,000 Shares outstanding 100,000 = = = Price per share $1,000,000 /100,000 $10 Stock Repurchase versus Dividend Consider a firm that wishes to distribute $100,000 to its shareholders.

  12. Assets Liabilities & Equity B. After $1 per share cash dividend Cash $50,000 Debt 0 Other Assets 850,000 Equity 900,000 Value of Firm 900,000 Value of Firm 900,000 Shares outstanding = 100,000 = Price per share = $900,000/1 00,000 $9 Stock Repurchase versus Dividend If they distribute the $100,000 as a cash dividend, the balance sheet will look like this:

  13. Liabilities Assets & Equity C. After stock repurchase Cash $50,000 Debt 0 Other Assets 850,000 Equity 900,000 Value of Firm 900,000 Value of Firm 900,000 Shares outstanding = 90,000 Price per share = $900,000 / 90,000 = $10 Stock Repurchase versus Dividend If they distribute the $100,000 through a stock repurchase, the balance sheet will look like this:

  14. Share Repurchase • Flexibility for Shareholders • Keeps Stock Price Higher • Good for insiders who hold stock options • As an Investment of the Firm • Tax Benefits

  15. Personal Taxes, Issuance Costs, and Dividends • To get the result that dividend policy is irrelevant, we needed three assumptions: • No taxes • No transactions costs • No uncertainty • In the United States, both cash dividends and capital gains are taxed at a maximum rate of 15 percent. • Since capital gains can be deferred, the tax rate on dividends is greater than the effective rate on capital gains.

  16. Firms with Sufficient Cash • The above argument does not necessarily apply to firms with excess cash. • Consider a firm that has $1 million in cash after selecting all available positive NPV projects. • Select additional capital budgeting projects (by assumption, these are negative NPV). • Acquire other companies • Purchase financial assets • Repurchase shares

  17. Taxes, Issuance Costs, and Dividends In the presence of personal taxes: • A firm should not issue stock to pay a dividend. • Managers have an incentive to seek alternative uses for funds to reduce dividends. • Though personal taxes mitigate against the payment of dividends, these taxes are not sufficient to lead firms to eliminate all dividends.

  18. Real-World Factors Favoring High Dividends • Desire for Current Income • Behavioral Finance • It forces investors to be disciplined. • Tax Arbitrage • Investors can create positions in high dividend yield securities that avoid tax liabilities. • Agency Costs • High dividends reduce free cash flow.

  19. The Clientele Effect Clienteles for various dividend payout policies are likely to form in the following way: Group Stock Type High Tax Bracket Individuals Zero-to-Low Payout Low Tax Bracket Individuals Low-to-Medium Payout Tax-Free Institutions Medium Payout Corporations High Payout Once the clienteles have been satisfied, a corporation is unlikely to create value by changing its dividend policy.

  20. What We Know and Do Not Know • Corporations ‘smooth’ dividends. • Dividends provide information to the market. • Firms should follow a sensible dividend policy: • Don’t forgo positive NPV projects just to pay a dividend. • Avoid issuing stock to pay dividends. • Consider share repurchase when there are few better uses for the cash.

  21. Stock Dividends • Pay additional shares of stock instead of cash • Increases the number of outstanding shares • Small stock dividend • Less than 20 to 25% • If you own 100 shares and the company declared a 10% stock dividend, you would receive an additional 10 shares. • Large stock dividend – more than 20 to 25%

  22. Stock Splits • Stock splits–essentially the same as a stock dividend except it is expressed as a ratio • For example, a 2 for 1 stock split is the same as a 100% stock dividend. • Stock price is reduced when the stock splits. • Common explanation for split is to return price to a “more desirable trading range.”

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