QB Questions Flashcards
Advantages of Shareholder Value Analysis (SVA)? (2)
- Based on PV of future cash flows, so future looking
- Considers 7 value drivers which link to company strategy
What is the modern view on optimum gearing?
It is is a balance between the benefits of the tax shield and bankruptcy costs
What does a lower gearing mean for market value?
It has a positive impact
Per M&M theory, share value is determined by what?
Future earnings and the level of risk
Per M&M theory, will dividends affect shareholder wealth?
No (unless the retained earnings are invested in profitable investment opportunities)
What does traditional theory state on dividends and shareholders timing?
Shareholders would prefer dividends today
Three facts on forward contracts and money market hedges?
Both are fixed, binding and have no upside/downside
Calculating forward rate from interest rates and spot rate?
Average spot rate * (1+ Avg foreign rate)/(1 + Avg UK rate)
Advantages of NPV valuation? (3)
- Values future cash flows of the company
- Takes risk into account
- Takes into account the time value of money
Advantage of multiples valuation? (2)
Disadvantage of multiples valuation?
- Values a company by comparison to its peers
- Reflects future growth potential of the market
- No company is truly comparable with another
Define underwriting
Why use it?
Main disadvantage of it?
A form of insurance which ensures all securities are sold
To ensure all funds are obtained
Is costly
ICO vs IPO: two main differences (for an ICO)
ICO: initial coin offering
1. An investor receives a token, which is a utility token that gives entitlement to use a product or a service
2. Payment is made in a cryptocurrency
Limitations of the gordon growth model (5)
- Relies on accounting profits
- assumed b and r remain constant
- can be distorted by inflation
- relies on historic information
- assumes all new finance is from equity or that gearing is held constant
what does a higher equity beta reflect?
higher systematic risk
Define a convertible debenture
Advantages of these? (5)
Disadvantages? (2)
They are fixed return securities that can be either secured or unsecured, which can be converted into OSC at a future date
- Lower interest rate than redeemable debentures
- Possible future profits for investors
- Introduces short-term gearing
- Avoids redemption if conversion rights are taken up
- Equity can be issued cheaply
- Dilution of future control
- Uncertainty as to whether conversion will take place
Unlike currency futures, forwards are ________ _______
tailored specifically
Advantage of a currency future over a forward?
It has a secondary market
What three factors affect the time value of index options
- Time to maturity
- The risk-free rate
- Volatility
Future contracts can be ______ but cannot be ________
cheaper
tailored
For hedge accounting, the directors’ attitude to _____ is important in deciding which strategy to pursue (e.g. whether a future, forward, OTC etc.)
risk
What is the issue with having a low hurdle rate for investment decisions? (relates to CAPM, dividend growth stuff)
Too low a figure can lead to poor investment decision being taken (e.g. a 3% hurdle rate allowing a 4% project, when there are 8% and 9% ones as well)
What does the beta value do in CAPM theory?
It’s a measure of systematic risk against market average
When is it appropriate to use adjusted present value (APV) approach to investment appraisal?
If capital structure changes maybe the cost of capital will as well
For new cost of capital, need new MV of company’s shares and the NPV, which cannot be calculated without the new cost of capital
This is circular, so we assume that finance is issued in such a way as to leave the gearing unchanged
So;
1. Calculate the base cost of the project
2. Calculate the PV of the tax shield
3. Adjust for issue costs
Problems with historic net assets as a valuation method? (3)
- Tends towards low historic values, so an undervaluation
- Intangibles are ignored
- Future earnings are ignored
What information is needed for the SVA approach? (7)
- Length of project
- Sales growth rate
- Profit margin
- Fixed assets investment
- Working capital investment
- Tax rate
- Discount rate
Name the four traditional valuation models
- Asset
- Earnings
- Dividend
- DCF
Why will a theoretical ex-rights price differ from actual price per share? (2)
- If the rights are fully taken up
- If the proceeds are invested in positive net present value projects
Advantages and disadvantages of debt vs equity; what categories do these broadly fall under? (6)
- Control issues
- Obligation to return capital
- Interest vs dividends
- Issue costs
- Liquidation of the investment
- risk/reward
Forms of finance a management team is likely to need? (3)
- Management team invest in equity
- A venture capital provider invests in equity and debt
- Other financiers (banks etc.)
Possible exit routes for financiers contributing to the funding of a management buyout? (4)
- Selling the company
- A secondary MBO
- Floating the company on the stock exchange
- Liquidation
What information will be needed in the financial section of a business plan? (5)
- Historical financial analysis
- Amount and timing of the finance provided
- Key risks and a contingency plan
- Anticipated gearing
- Purpose of finance required
Two issues with OTC currency options?
- Expensive
- No secondary market
3 issues with currency futures?
- Not tailored, so need to round number of contracts
- Requires a margin to be deposited at the exchange
- Need for liquidity if margin calls are made
Since futures require margins, they are not a perfect hedge due to ______ and _______ risk
rounding
basis
What is an interest rate parity?
An interest rate parity links the forward exchange rate with interest rates in an exact relationship, because risk-free gains are possible if the rates are out of alignment (use the mid spot * 1+int / 1+GBP formula thing)
Define economic risk
How can this be mitigated? (5)
The risk that longer-term exchange rate movements might reduce the international competitiveness of a company
- Diversify operations world-wide
- Carefully decide which markets to operate in
- Product management
- Pricing strategy to respond to risk of fluctuations in exchange rates
- Production management; economic exposure may influence the supply and location of production
Issuing debentures is likely ______ than issuing a rights issue
cheaper
Issues to consider in debenture vs rights issue? (6)
- Level of gearing
- Interest cover
- Dilution of control (rights)
- Date of repayment (debs)
- Issue costs (rights > debs)
- Tax shield (debs)
What are the two main dividend policy theories?
- M&M; share value is determined by future earnings and level of risk
- Traditional; shareholders prefer dividends today rather than dividends or capital gains in the future
What is required for calculating standard deviation?
A normal distribution
In a normal distribution, plus or minus two SDs from the mean correspon to approximately ___% of the distribution
95
For two projects (one with high profit, one with low profit), why might using SD be a poor means of comparison
The higher profit project may have a higher SD simply because the expected profits are higher
Two problems with highly variable cash flows?
- Planning is more difficult
- Operating risk is increased
How do FRAs differ from interest rate futures?
FRAs allow lenders/borrowers to fix a rate of interest. The bank will pay/receive any difference between the agreed rate and the actual rate paid/received
Interest rate futures are similar tovFRAs in that they are contracts on an interest rate, but the terms, amounts and periods are standardised
What is Shareholder Value Analysis?
The process of analysing the activities of a business to identify how they will result in increasing shareholder wealth
What is the over-riding objective of companies?
To create long-term wealth for shareholders
How can a cost of equity be calculated that reflects the systematic risk of a project?
By using an equity beta from a similar company as a surrogate in the CAPM/other dividend Ke model
An increase in WACC is associated with a ______ in value, but assuming the project has a positive NPV this could result in an _____ in value
reduction
increase