Chapter 15- Capital Structure Decisions
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Chapter 15 Capital Structure Decisions
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ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS
15-1 a. Capital structure is the manner in which a firm’s assets are financed; that is, the right-hand side of the balance sheet. Capital structure is normally expressed as the percentage of each type of capital used by the firm--debt, preferred stock, and common equity. Business risk is the risk inherent in the operations of the firm, prior to the financing decision. Thus, business risk is the uncertainty inherent in a total risk sense, future operating income, or earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). Business risk is caused by many factors. Two of the most important are sales variability and operating leverage. Financial risk is the risk added by the use of debt financing. Debt financing increases the variability of earnings before taxes (but after interest); thus, along with business risk, it contributes to the uncertainty of net income and earnings per share. Business risk plus financial risk equals total corporate risk. b. Operating leverage is the extent to which fixed costs are used in a firm’s operations. If a high percentage of a firm’s total costs are fixed costs, then the firm is said to have a high degree of operating leverage. Operating leverage is a measure of one element of business risk, but does not include the second major element, sales variability. Financial leverage is the extent to which fixed-income securities (debt and preferred stock) are used in a firm’s capital structure. If a high percentage of a firm’s capital structure is in the form of debt and preferred stock, then the firm is said to have a high degree of financial leverage. The breakeven point is that level of unit sales at which costs equal revenues. Breakeven analysis may be performed with or without the inclusion of financial costs. If financial
Chapter 15 Capital Structure Decisions
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ANSWERS TO END-OF-CHAPTER QUESTIONS
15-1 a. Capital structure is the manner in which a firm’s assets are financed; that is, the right-hand side of the balance sheet. Capital structure is normally expressed as the percentage of each type of capital used by the firm--debt, preferred stock, and common equity. Business risk is the risk inherent in the operations of the firm, prior to the financing decision. Thus, business risk is the uncertainty inherent in a total risk sense, future operating income, or earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). Business risk is caused by many factors. Two of the most important are sales variability and operating leverage. Financial risk is the risk added by the use of debt financing. Debt financing increases the variability of earnings before taxes (but after interest); thus, along with business risk, it contributes to the uncertainty of net income and earnings per share. Business risk plus financial risk equals total corporate risk. b. Operating leverage is the extent to which fixed costs are used in a firm’s operations. If a high percentage of a firm’s total costs are fixed costs, then the firm is said to have a high degree of operating leverage. Operating leverage is a measure of one element of business risk, but does not include the second major element, sales variability. Financial leverage is the extent to which fixed-income securities (debt and preferred stock) are used in a firm’s capital structure. If a high percentage of a firm’s capital structure is in the form of debt and preferred stock, then the firm is said to have a high degree of financial leverage. The breakeven point is that level of unit sales at which costs equal revenues. Breakeven analysis may be performed with or without the inclusion of financial costs. If financial