Deck 17: Dividends and Dividend Policy

Question 1

If there are no taxes on dividends, then the price of a stock will not drop on the ex-dividend date.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In a realistic situation, dividend policy does not affect firm value.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Compared to raising regular cash dividends, initiating an open-market stock repurchase is generally not as "strong" a positive signal to investors because the repurchase can easily be canceled or scaled back before it is completed.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Fixed-price tender offer stock repurchases always take place at a price higher than the market price of the stock.

Question 5

Under U.S. bankruptcy rules, shareholders are entitled to a liquidating dividend whenever the company's assets are sold in bankruptcy.

Question 6

The record date should never come before the ex-dividend date.

Question 7

Consider an investor who purchases a dividend-paying stock of a public company the day prior to the dividend record date. We would expect this investor to receive a dividend distribution.

Question 8

When a company distributes dividends to stockholders, the amount of equity capital invested in the firm is reduced.

Question 9

Stockholders who don't choose to sell back their shares in a stock repurchase are losing money because the company is only distributing value to the participating shareholders.

Question 10

Targeted share repurchases always occur at a price higher than the current market quoted price for a stock.

Question 11

Private companies often don't announce dividend payments because private company shares are not frequently traded and the list of shareholders is relatively small.

Question 12

Open-market stock repurchases are a convenient way for the company to distribute large amounts cash.

Question 13

Distributions to stockholders in the form of a standing discount for products or services that the firm produces are often not thought of as dividends.

Question 14

Stock prices react to dividend announcements because the amount of the dividend sends a signal to investors about management's view of the company's prospects.

Question 15

Dividend policy can help a firm maintain a desired capital structure.

Question 16

A large regular dividend always denotes a firm with a high level of cash that also has many new project alternatives.

Question 17

Stock prices drop on the ex-dividend date, but usually the drop is less than the amount of the dividend.

Question 18

Dividends reduce the stockholder's investment in the firm.

Question 19

Stock repurchases are a stronger indication of "high cash flow" than dividends.

Question 20

A liquidating dividend occurs when a going-concern firm liquidates a division and pays out the proceeds to its shareholders.

Question 21

Which one of these examples does NOT meet the strict definition for a dividend?

A) Steel Gen Corp regularly distributes $0.05 to each shareholder for every share they own.
B) Chalone Vineyards once offered their investors discounts on wine in proportion to the number of shares they owned.
C) Churchill Downs, Inc., which operates several horse racing tracks, including the location for the Kentucky Derby, distributes two free general admission tickets to every investor who holds more then 100 shares in the company (as of 2008).
D) Both b and c do not meet the definition for a dividend.

Question 22

Paying a stock dividend does not actually transfer any value to the company's stockholders.

Question 23

Which type of dividend is used to distribute any remaining value when the company's assets are being sold as the company is terminated?

A) Regular cash dividend
B) Extra dividend
C) Special dividend
D) Liquidating dividend

Question 24

The shares of ABC, Inc., fell sharply today after the company announced that it is increasing its regular cash dividend distributions. Which one of the following explanations may explain investors' negative reaction?

A) Changes in regular cash dividends are made frequently so that the company's management can adjust for changes in short-term earnings. The decrease in the stock price is probably related to some other negative event.
B) Investors previously believed the company had many lucrative growth opportunities. By announcing higher regular cash dividends, the company is sending a signal that it doesn't have enough positive-NPV projects to use all the money.
C) Investors expected that the company would announce a stock repurchase rather then a cash dividend increase. Since a change in dividend policy is commonly viewed as a weaker signal than a stock repurchase, the share price fell on the news of the dividend increase.
D) None of the above explanations can possibly explain investor's reaction.

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT a possible result of a stock repurchase?

A) Removing a large number of shares from circulation can change the ability of certain shareholders to control the firm.
B) If the number of remaining shares is relatively small, the remaining shares will be less liquid.
C) The company will decrease its leverage ratio (debt-to-equity ratio).
D) By repurchasing stock when it is undervalued, managers can effectively transfer value from selling stockholders to stockholders who don't take part in the repurchase.

Question 26

Suppose that the government raises short- and long-term capital gains taxes while leaving all other taxes unchanged. This tax rate change would encourage companies to increase the use of stock repurchases rather than issuing dividends.

Question 27

It is unethical for a corporate board to conduct a large tender offer stock repurchase when the board members have private information indicating that the company's share price is too high.

Question 28

Although stock splits do not add any value to the firm, investors tend to react positively to stock splits because management isn't likely to initiate a stock split if the firm's prospects are poor.

Question 29

Which step in the dividend payment process for a public company usually results in a change in the company's stock price? Assume the dividend has changed from the last dividend paid.

A) Public announcement
B) Ex-dividend date
C) Payable date
D) Both a and b

Question 30

Which type of stock repurchase often takes place at a price below the current market price of the stock?

A) Open-market repurchase
B) Fixed-price tender offer repurchase
C) Dutch auction tender offer repurchase
D) Targeted stock repurchase

Question 31

Which type of dividend is most likely to be used to distribute the revenue from a one-time sale of a large asset?

A) Regular cash dividend
B) Extra dividend
C) Special dividend
D) Liquidating dividend

Question 32

Which type of stock repurchase allows management to set the repurchase price at the lowest level necessary to repurchase the desired number of shares?

A) Open-market repurchase
B) Fixed-price tender offer repurchase
C) Dutch auction tender offer repurchase
D) All of the above will generate the same purchase price.

Question 33

Dividend reinvestment programs allow investors to reinvest the dividends they receive back into a company's stock without paying taxes on the dividends or a transaction fee on the stock purchase.

Question 34

Some companies have been known to pay dividends to current stockholders while simultaneously raising capital through a new equity issue. Generally, this behavior is explained by the need to discipline managers by regularly exposing the company to the extra scrutiny involved in an equity issue.

Question 35

Surveys conducted of managers tell us that they primarily see regular cash dividends as a way to precisely adjust their leverage ratio to the target suggested by the trade-off theory of capital structure.

Question 36

Consider a company that had unexpectedly higher earnings last quarter and intends to pay out some additional value to shareholders. Which type of dividend is the company likely to use?

A) Regular cash dividend
B) Extra dividend
C) Special dividend
D) Liquidating dividend

Question 37

Traditionally, capital gains taxes have been higher than taxes on dividends.

Question 38

Which of the following explanations is NOT a possible benefit of dividends?

A) Some investors prefer dividend-paying stocks and will be willing to pay a higher price for stocks with regular dividends.
B) Paying out large regular dividends can force management to regularly raise more capital. The extra scrutiny involved in raising capital can increase the incentives of management to run the company efficiently.
C) Dividends can be used to manage the capital structure of the company.
D) Paying dividends reduces the probability that the firm will enter financial distress.

Question 39

It is possible for a large investor to get a controlling interest in a firm without actually buying any additional shares.

Question 40

If the three conditions of Modigliani and Miller hold, then dividend policy should not affect firm value.

Question 41

Types of dividends: ABC Co. will be distributing $40 million to shareholders through a special dividend. The company has 160 million shares outstanding. If you own 100 shares of ABC Co., how much will you receive? Ignore taxes.

A) $400
B) $100
C) $25
D) None of the above

Question 42

Suppose you own shares of ThreeFor, Inc., which has just announced a 3-for-1 stock split. Immediately after the announcement, the price of the company's shares rose by 5 percent. You don't expect any new information about the company until after the stock split. Ignoring any discounting for time, if you intend to sell your shares soon, you should

A) sell the stock now-the single share you have now is likely to be worth more than the three shares you'll have after the split.
B) sell the stock after the split-typically, the marker reacts positively to stock splits. The three shares you'll have after the split will be worth more than the single share you have now.
C) sell the stock now-the stock is likely to be more liquid before the split when there are fewer shares.
D) It doesn't matter when the stock is sold. If there is no new information about the stock, then the value of three shares after the split should be the same as the value of the single share you hold now.

Question 43

In early 2003, the U.S. government cut the tax rate on dividends to a flat 15 percent instead of treating dividend payments as other income. All else being equal, how would we expect the number of companies paying dividends to change.

A) We would expect the number of dividend-paying companies to increase.
B) We would expect the number of dividend-paying companies to decrease.
C) We would expect the number of dividend-paying companies to stay relatively constant.
D) None of the above.

Question 44

Which one of these actions could by itself have an impact on the control of the firm?

A) A tender offer stock repurchase
B) A special dividend payment
C) A stock split
D) A regular cash dividend payment

Question 45

The ex-dividend date: ABC Co. stock is currently trading at $38.15 per share. The company pays a regular cash dividend of $0.80 every quarter. Tomorrow is ex-dividend day for the upcoming regular dividend. The tax rate on dividends is 15 percent. Assuming there is no new information released about the company, how much do you expect the company's stock to trade for tomorrow?

A) $37.47
B) $37.35
C) $37.32
D) $37.23

Question 46

Good Signal Co. is currently trading for $10 with 1 million shares outstanding. Which of the following actions would be the most credible signal that management believes that the long-term prospects for a company has improved?

A) Pay a $0.20 extra dividend in addition to the company's $0.20 regular quarterly dividend.
B) Increase the company's regular quarterly dividend from $0.20 to $0.40.
C) Initiate an open-market stock repurchase of 2 percent of the company's stock.
D) Initiate a Dutch auction tender offer stock repurchase for 2 percent of the company's stock.

Question 47

GHI Co. has just announced that the board has reached a targeted stock repurchase agreement with a large stockholder. The company will repurchase all of the large investor's stock for 90 percent of the current market value. When the stock repurchase was announced, the shares of GHI Co. fell by 7 percent. Which one of these explanations could reasonably explain the drop in share price?

A) The willingness of the large investor to accept the targeted stock repurchase signals that the large investor believes the company will not do well in the future.
B) A targeted stock repurchase essentially transfers value from the average investor to the targeted investor.
C) Investors believe that the company's management is entrenching itself by buying off any large block shareholders.
D) Both a and c are possible explanations.

Question 48

Which of the following statements about the relative advantages of stock repurchases over dividends is NOT true?

A) Stock repurchases send a stronger signal than dividends to the market about management's belief that the firm's prospects are good.
B) Open-market stock purchases allow management more flexibility because investors are less likely to react if the management cuts back or ends a stock repurchase as compared to cutting back on dividend payments.
C) Stock repurchases allow stockholders to choose whether or not to participate in the stock repurchase. This allows stockholders to have more control over their tax burden.
D) Historically, taxes on dividend payment have been higher than those on stock repurchases.

Question 49

Stock splits: Split-Gram, Inc., has announced a 4-to-1 stock split. If the company currently has 1 million shares outstanding, how many outstanding shares will it have after the split?

A) 4 million
B) 3 million
C) 2 million
D) 1 million

Question 50

The ex-dividend date: You own 10,000 shares of ABC Co., which is currently trading for $11.50 per share. The company has announced that it will soon pay a special dividend of $1.50 per share. Tomorrow is the ex-dividend day. Ignoring taxes, what do you expect your block of shares will be worth tomorrow?

A) $15,000
B) $100,000
C) $115,000
D) $200,000

Question 51

Which of the following considerations should NOT be related to management's concerns when setting a dividend or stock repurchase policy?

A) Over the long term, how much does the company's level of earnings exceed its investment requirements? How certain is this level?
B) Is the stock currently undervalued? Can the management add value to the company by initiating a stock repurchase?
C) Does the firm have enough financial reserves to maintain the dividend policy in periods when earnings are down or investment requirements are up?
D) Can the firm quickly raise equity capital if necessary?

Question 52

The ex-dividend date: ABC Co. stock is currently trading at $25.70 per share. The company pays a regular cash dividend of $0.40 every quarter. Tomorrow is ex-dividend day for the upcoming regular dividend. The tax rate on dividends is 15 percent. Assuming there is no new information released about the company, how much do you expect the company's stock to trade for tomorrow?

A) $0.40
B) $25.24
C) $25.30
D) $25.36

Question 53

Stock splits: You own 1,200 shares of ABC, Co. The company has recently announced a 1-for-3 reverse stock split. How many shares will you own after the reverse split?

A) 300 shares
B) 400 shares
C) 3,600 shares
D) 4,800 shares

Question 54

Generally, management undertakes a reverse stock split to

A) send a signal to investors that the company is expected to perform poorly.
B) meet the minimum requirements to be listed on one of the major stock exchanges.
C) increase the liquidity of shares by decreasing the number of share available.
D) reduce the administrative costs associated with investor relations.

Question 55

Stock splits: You own 3,000 shares of Split Holdings Co. The shares are currently selling for $48. The company has just announced a 4-for-1 stock split. How many shares will you own after the split, and approximately what will your holdings in Split Holdings Co be worth?

A) 12,000 shares worth about $144,000
B) 12,000 shares worth about $576,000
C) 15,000 shares worth about $144,000
D) 15,000 shares worth about $720,000

Question 56

Stock dividends and stock splits: Split-Div, Inc., has issued quarterly dividends of $0.10 per share each quarter over the last few years. This quarter Split-Div initiated a 2-for-1 stock split. What is the minimum quarterly dividend the board of Split-Div should approve to avoid sending a bad signal to investors?

A) $0.02 per share
B) $0.05 per share
C) $0.10 per share
D) $0.20 per share

Question 57

Which one of the following statements describes the finding from academic studies on corporate dividend policy?

A) Managers tend to increase regular cash dividends in response to unexpectedly high earnings.
B) Managers tend to maintain a level dividend payment at an amount that they are relatively certain they can maintain in the future.
C) Managers tend to focus on dividends rather than stock repurchases because institutional investors tend to prefer regular dividends.
D) Dividend policy doesn't matter because investors can re-create dividends by selling a fraction of their shares.

Question 58

The ex-dividend date: ABC Co. has announced it will pay its regular cash dividend of $0.45 per share. If dividends are taxed at 15 percent, about how much do you expect the price of ABC to drop on the ex-dividend day?

A) $0.07
B) $0.38
C) $0.45
D) $0.52

Question 59

Stock dividends: ABC Co. stock is currently trading for $54. Assume there is no new information about the company. If the company issues a 10 percent stock dividend, what will the approximate price of the stock be after the stock dividend is issued?

A) $47.80 per share
B) $48.60 per share
C) $49.09 per share
D) $54.00 per share

Question 60

Suppose you are advising a retiree who holds 2,000 shares of LargeDiv Corp. The company is largely held by tax-paying institutional investors and has announced that it will shortly be issuing a large dividend. Because the shares are held in the retiree's Roth IRA, she will not incur taxes on either capital gains or dividends. The retiree has decided to sell the shares sometime this year, and use the money for living expenses. You expect the only upcoming change in the stock price will result from the dividend. Ignoring any discounting for time, what advice should you give?

A) Sell the stock now-the stock price is likely to decrease more than just the dividend amount.
B) Sell the stock ex-dividend-the stock price is likely to decline, but by less than the dividend amount.
C) It doesn't matter when the stock is sold.
D) Sell the stock now-it is always better to sell the stock immediately regardless of the tax consequences.

Question 61

The ex-dividend date: ABC. Co is currently trading at $37.00 per share. The company is paying a regular cash dividend of $0.40 per share and an extra dividend of $0.10 per share. Tomorrow is the ex-dividend day. The tax rate on dividends is 15 percent. Assuming there is no new information released about the company, how much do you expect the company's stock to trade for tomorrow?

A) $36.43
B) $36.50
C) $36.58
D) $37.00

Question 62

Stock price reactions to dividend announcements: The Wyoming Boot Co. has paid a regular dividend of $0.25 quarterly for the last several years. The company has 1 million shares outstanding. Over the next year the company will have to spend $600,000 to service its debt and spend $500,000 in capital expenditures. The company has $600,000 of cash and cash equivalents. Over the next year how much cash must be provided from operations to continue to make the same quarterly dividend payment and still have $250,000 in cash at the end of the year?

A) 1,000,000
B) 1,100,000
C) 1,750,000
D) 2,100,000

Question 63

Types of dividends: ABC Co. has a policy of returning a minimum of 25 percent of earnings to shareholders every year through dividend issues and open-market stock repurchases. In each quarter this year, the company earned $0.20 per share. In each of the first three quarters, the company paid a regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share. What combination of dividends could the company's board approve to meet their target payout percentage?

A) A regular cash dividend of $0.05
B) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an extra dividend of 0.05 per share
C) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an extra dividend of $0.10 per share
D) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an extra dividend of $0.20 per share

Question 64

How stock is repurchased: ABC Co has 3 million shares outstanding. The shares are currently selling for $40. If the firm repurchases $10 million at market prices, approximately how much will the stock be worth after the repurchase? Ignore taxes.

A) $40
B) $38
C) $42
D) $50

Question 65

Dividend policy and firm value: You purchased 4,000 shares of High-Div Co. several years ago at $50 per share. The company has decided to pay a special dividend of $2.00 per share. Dividend payments are taxed at 15 percent. You intend to reinvest in the company through the dividend reinvestment program. If the company's stock is trading at $48.20 following the dividend payment, how many additional shares can you buy through the dividend reinvestment program?

A) 166 shares
B) 141 shares
C) 134 shares
D) 125 shares

Question 66

Stock price reactions to dividend announcements: The Dimples Golf Ball Co. has paid a regular dividend of $0.20 quarterly for the last three years. The company has 2 million shares outstanding. Over the next year the company will have to spend $800,000 to service its debt and spend $200,000 in capital expenditures. The company has $500,000 of cash and cash equivalents. Over the next year how much cash must be provided from operations to continue to make the same quarterly dividend payment, and still have $500,000 in cash at the end of the year?

A) 1,000,000
B) 1,600,000
C) 2,000,000
D) 2,600,000

Question 67

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: You purchased 2,500 shares of DotCom.com several years ago for $40 per share. The company is offering a fixed-price tender offer repurchase for $54 per share. What is the amount of after-tax proceeds you would receive from taking part in the repurchase if capital gains are taxed at 15 percent?

A) $120,000
B) $121,250
C) $129,750
D) $135,000

Question 68

Types of dividends: ABC Co. has a policy of returning a minimum of 40 percent of earnings to shareholders every year through dividend issues and open-market stock repurchases. In each quarter this year, the company earned $0.35 per share. In each of the first three quarters the company paid a regular cash dividend of $0.10 per share. What combination of dividends could the company's board approve to meet their target payout percentage?

A) A regular cash dividend of $0.10 per share.
B) A regular cash dividend of $0.10 per share and an extra dividend of 0.56 per share.
C) A regular cash dividend of $0.10 per share and an extra dividend of $0.46 per share.
D) A regular cash dividend of $0.10 per share and an extra dividend of $0.16 per share.

Question 69

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: You purchased 3,000 shares of Space Apparition Co. four years ago at $40 per share You have just received a mailing from the company announcing a fixed-price tender offer stock repurchase at $70 per share. Capital gains are taxed at 20 percent. If you participate in the repurchase, how much will you receive?

A) $31,500
B) $192,000
C) $178,000
D) $210,000

Question 70

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: You purchased 3,000 shares of Purple Stuff Beverage Co. four years ago at $30 per share. You have just received a mailing from the company announcing a fixed-price tender offer stock repurchase at $36 per share. Capital gains are taxed at 15 percent. If you participate in the repurchase, how much will you receive?

A) $18,000
B) $91,800
C) $105,300
D) $108,800

Question 71

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: ABC Co. has a policy of returning a minimum of 40 percent of earnings to shareholders every year through dividend issues and open-market stock repurchases. In each quarter this year, the company earned $0.20 per share. In each of the first three quarters, the company paid a regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share. The company has 8 million shares of common stock outstanding. What combination of dividends and stock repurchases could the company's board approve to meet their target payout percentage?

A) A regular cash dividend of $0.05
B) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an open-market stock repurchase of $960,000 in stock
C) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and a special dividend of $0.12
D) Both b and c will meet the target payout percentage

Question 72

Dividend policy and firm value: You purchased 2,000 shares of NoDiv Technologies several years ago at $50 per share. The company does not pay a regular cash dividend. You want to "manufacture" your own dividend by selling a little bit of stock each quarter. The company's stock is currently trading at $75. If capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, how many shares would you have to sell to receive $3,420 in cash?

A) 27 shares
B) 46 shares
C) 48 shares
D) 51 shares

Question 73

Types of dividends: You own 20,000 shares of stock in Casi-knows, Inc., which has just sold one of its large resort hotels for $300 million. Management intends to return the entire revenue from the sale to shareholders by issuing a special dividend. If Casi-knows has 20 million shares outstanding, how large a dividend payment do you expect to receive?

A) $20,000
B) $200,000
C) $300,000
D) $1,000,000

Question 74

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: You purchased 500 shares in Div Choice, Inc., several years ago for $20. The company previously announced it will be distributing cash to shareholders in a novel way. First, the company will a have a tender offer stock repurchase at $30 per share. After the repurchase, it will issue a special dividend of $5.00 per share to the remaining stockholders. Suppose that you want to convert your holdings in Div Choice, Inc., into cash. Assume the tax on dividends is 30 percent and the tax on capital gains is 15 percent. The shares are currently trading for $30. Assume no new information comes out about the company. How much cash will you receive from taking part in the repurchase?

A) You will receive $14,250 by taking part in the repurchase.
B) You will receive $15,000 by taking part in the repurchase.
C) You will receive $15,750 by taking part in the repurchase.
D) You will receive $16,000 by taking part in the repurchase.

Question 75

Dividend policy and firm value: You purchased 8,000 shares of NoDiv Technologies several years ago at $20 per share. The company does not pay a regular cash dividend. You want to "manufacture" your own dividend by selling a little bit of stock each quarter. The company's stock is currently trading at $60. If capital gains are taxed at 15 percent, how many shares would you have to sell to receive $2,000 in cash?

A) 30 shares
B) 33 shares
C) 37 shares
D) 39 shares

Question 76

Types of dividends: Distressed Capital, Inc., is being liquidated. The company's assets can be sold for $20 million. It will cost $18 million for the company to meet all its previous obligations and to payoff debt holders. The company has 30 million shares outstanding. If you own 2,000 shares, how much do you expect to receive in liquidating dividends? Ignore taxes.

A) $0.00
B) $133.33
C) $266.66
D) $1,200.00

Question 77

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: ABC Co. has a policy of returning a minimum of 25 percent of earnings to shareholders every year through dividend issues and open-market stock repurchases. In each quarter this year, the company earned $0.25 per share. In each of the first three quarters, the company paid a regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share. The company has 2 million shares of common stock outstanding. What combination of dividends and stock repurchases could the company's board approve to meet their target payout percentage?

A) A regular cash dividend of $0.05
B) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an open-market stock repurchase of $100,000 in stock
C) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an open-market stock repurchase of $400,000 in stock
D) A regular cash dividend of $0.05 per share and an open-market stock repurchase of 500,000 in stock

Question 78

Dividend policy and firm value: You own 7,000 shares of No-Drip Co. The company has decided to pay a special dividend of $1.00 per share. Dividend payments are taxed at 15 percent. You intend to reinvest your dividend back into the company, but the company does not have a dividend reinvestment program. To reinvest through your broker, you will have to pay a $46 commission. If the company's stock is trading at $12.43 following the dividend payment, how many additional shares will you be able to purchase?

A) 563 shares
B) 481 shares
C) 478 shares
D) 475 shares

Question 79

The ex-dividend date: ABC. Co is currently trading at $22.00 per share. The company is paying a regular cash dividend of $0.30 per share, and an extra dividend of $0.05 per share. Tomorrow is the ex-dividend day. The tax rate on dividends is 15 percent. Assuming there is no new information released about the company, how much do you expect the company's stock to trade for tomorrow?

A) $21.70
B) $21.65
C) $21.60
D) $21.55

Question 80

How stock repurchases differ from dividends: Using the same information from the preceding question, approximately how much will you receive by waiting until after the ex-dividend day and then selling the shares in the market?

A) You will receive about $13,500 by selling after the ex-dividend day.
B) You will receive about $14,775 by selling after the ex-dividend day.
C) You will receive about $14,512 by selling after the ex-dividend day.
D) You will receive about $15,000 by selling after the ex-dividend day.