CFA® Level 1 Exam: Dividend Policy and Capital Structure

False Statements about Dividend Policy and Capital Structure

Prev Question Next Question

Question

Which of the following statements about dividend policy and capital structure is FALSE?

Answers

Explanations

Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer

A. B. C. D.

D

The optimal capital structure is the one that maximizes the stock price and minimizes the cost of capital.

The other statements are true. "A company's growth rate equals the retention ratio multiplied by return on equity," is simply the word version of the equation g = (1

- Payout Ratio) * ROE. Know this equation for the exam! A company that uses the residual dividend model to set the dividend payment in any one year will not have a stable payout ratio, and investors will likely demand a higher required return to offset this uncertainty. The higher required return will result in a lower stock price. If the board of directors decreases the target payout ratio, the stock price may increase or decrease because there will be two opposing effects. For example, this may result in a decrease in stock price (due to lower dividend payout, D1), and an increase in the stock price due to increased funds available for reinvestment. Remember: g = (1 "" Payout) * ROE. The net effect partially depends on investor's preference for dividends over capital gains or vice versa.