英文版罗斯司理财习题答案Chap014.docVIP

Answers to Concepts Review and Critical Thinking Questions 1. Assumptions of the Modigliani-Miller theory in a world without taxes: 1) Individuals can borrow at the same interest rate at which the firm borrows. Since investors can purchase securities on margin, an individual’s effective interest rate is probably no higher than that for a firm. Therefore, this assumption is reasonable when applying MM’s theory to the real world. If a firm were able to borrow at a rate lower than individuals, the firm’s value would increase through corporate leverage. As MM Proposition I states, this is not the case in a world with no taxes. 2) There are no taxes. In the real world, firms do pay taxes. In the presence of corporate taxes, the value of a firm is positively related to its debt level. Since interest payments are deductible, increasing debt reduces taxes and raises the value of the firm. 3) There are no costs of financial distress. In the real world, costs of financial distress can be substantial. Since stockholders eventually bear these costs, there are incentives for a firm to lower the amount of debt in its capital structure. This topic will be discussed in more detail in later chapters. 2. False. A reduction in leverage will decrease both the risk of the stock and its expected return. Modigliani and Miller state that, in the absence of taxes, these two effects exactly cancel each other out and leave the price of the stock and the overall value of the firm unchanged. 3. False. Modigliani-Miller Proposition II (No Taxes) states that the required return on a firm’s equity is positively related to the firm’s debt-equity ratio [RS = R0 + (B/S)(R0 – RB)]. Therefore, any increase in the amount of debt in a firm’s capital structure will increase the required return on the firm’s equity. 4. Interest payments are tax deductible, where payments to shareholders (dividends) are not tax deductible. 5. Business risk is the equity risk arising from the nature of the firm’s