Chapter 14: Distribution to Shareholders: Dividends and Share Repurchases
undervalued, or, alternatively, as a signal that the firm does not have many good investment opportunities.
A company can repurchase stock to distribute a large one-time cash inflow, say from the sale of a division, to
stockholders without having to increase its regular dividend.
Stockholders pay no income tax on dividends if the dividends are used to purchase stock through a dividend
reinvestment plan.
FOFM.BRIG.17.14.00 – Comprehensive
United States – BUSPROG.FOFM.BRIG.17.03 – BUSPROG: Analytic
United States – OH – DISC.FOFM.BRIG.17.11 – Dividend policy
49. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
If a firm follows the residual dividend model, then a sudden increase in the number of profitable projects
would be likely to lead to a reduction of the firm’s dividend payout ratio.
The clientele effect explains why so many firms change their dividend policies so often.
One advantage of adopting the residual dividend model is that this policy makes it easier for a corporation to
attract a specific and well-identified dividend clientele.
New-stock dividend reinvestment plans are similar to stock dividends because they both increase the number
of shares outstanding but don’t change the firm’s total amount of book equity.
Investors who receive stock dividends must pay taxes on the value of the new shares in the year the stock
dividends are received.
FOFM.BRIG.17.14.00 – Comprehensive
United States – BUSPROG.FOFM.BRIG.17.03 – BUSPROG: Analytic
United States – OH – DISC.FOFM.BRIG.17.11 – Dividend policy
50. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
Suppose a firm that has been earning $2 and paying a dividend of $1.00, or a 50% dividend payout, announces
that it is increasing the dividend to $1.50. The stock price then jumps from $20 to $30. Some people would
argue that this is proof that investors prefer dividends to retained earnings. Miller and Modigliani would agree
with this argument.
Other things held constant, the higher a firm’s target dividend payout ratio, the higher its expected growth rate
should be.