Page 506 Conceptual M/C Chapter 14: Capital Structure
c. One of the benefits to a firm of being at or near its target capital
structure is that this generally minimizes the risk of bankruptcy.
d. A firm’s financial risk can be minimized by diversification.
e. The amount of debt in its capital structure can under no
circumstances affect a company’s EBIT and business risk.
45. Which of the following statements is CORRECT? As a firm increases the
operating leverage used to produce a given quantity of output, this
a. normally leads to an increase in its fixed assets turnover ratio.
b. normally leads to a decrease in its business risk.
c. normally leads to a decrease in the standard deviation of its
expected EBIT.
d. normally leads to a decrease in the variability of its expected EPS.
e. normally leads to a reduction in its fixed assets turnover ratio.
46. A firm’s CFO is considering increasing the target debt ratio, which
would also increase the company’s interest expense. New bonds would be
issued and the proceeds would be used to buy back shares of common
stock. Neither total assets nor operating income would change, but
expected earnings per share (EPS) would increase. Assuming the CFO’s
estimates are correct, which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a. Since the proposed plan increases the firm’s financial risk, the
stock price might fall even if EPS increases.
b. If the plan reduces the WACC, the stock price is likely to decline.
c. Since the plan is expected to increase EPS, this implies that net
income is also expected to increase.
d. If the plan does increase the EPS, the stock price will
automatically increase at the same rate.
e. Under the plan there will be more bonds outstanding, and that will
increase their liquidity and thus lower the interest rate on the
currently outstanding bonds.
47. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a. Increasing its use of financial leverage is one way to increase a
firm’s return on investors’ capital (ROIC).
b. If a firm lowered its fixed costs but increased its variable costs
by just enough to hold total costs at the present level of sales
constant, this would increase its operating leverage.
c. The debt ratio that maximizes expected EPS generally exceeds the
debt ratio that maximizes share price.
d. If a company were to issue debt and use the money to repurchase
common stock, this would reduce its return on investors’ capital
(ROIC). (Assume that the repurchase has no impact on the company’s
operating income.)
e. If a change in the bankruptcy code made bankruptcy less costly to
corporations, this would tend to reduce corporations’ debt ratios.