Chapter 16 - Dividend Policy Flashcards
What are the assumptions of the dividend irrelevancy theory (M&M)?
- there exists a perfect capital market
- there are no transaction costs
- there are no taxes or dividends and capital gains are taxed in the same way
What is the theory behind M&M?
the pattern of dividends payouts should be irrelevant . As long as companies continue to invest in positive NPV projects, the wealth of the shareholders should increase whether or not the company makes a dividend payment in the year
What do M&M suggest?
that entities should focus on investment policy rather than dividend policy and that if investors required income, they could sell shares to ‘manufacture’ dividends.
What is the residual theory?
closely related to M&M’s but recognises the costs involved for the company in raising new finance
What does the residual theory argue?
that dividends themselves are important but the pattern of them is not
What does the residual theory state?
It follows that only after a firm has invested in all positive NPV projects should a dividend be
paid if there are any funds remaining.
What are the practical influences on dividend policy?
- dividend signalling
- investor liquidity requirements
- clientele effect
What is dividend signalling?
reductions in dividends can convey ‘bad news’ to shareholders who aren’t fully informed about why the dividend has been cut (a market imperfection)
What are investor liquidity requirements?
a cut in a dividend or an unexpected dividend may conflict with investors liquidity requirements
What is clientele effect?
investors may have invested for a specific reason such as tax planning. As income tax and capital gains tax are taxed differently, a dividend policy change can affect the taxes incurred by investors
What are other practical constraints?
- legal restrictions on dividend payments
- liquidity
What are some of the legal restrictions on dividend payments?
- rules as to distributable profits that prevent excess cash distributions
- bond and loan agreements may contain convenants that restrict the amount of dividends a firm can pay
What are alternatives to cash dividends?
- share repurchase
- scrip dividends
What are share repurchase?
buy back of shares, particularly if the amount of surplus cash available would distort normal dividend policy
what are scrip dividends?
allowing shareholders to take their dividends in the form of new shares rather than cash