A common problem facing any business entity is the debt versus equity decision. When funds are required toobtain assets, should debt or equity financing be used? This decision also is faced when a company is initiallyformed. What will be the mix of debt versus equity in the initial capital structure? The characteristics of debt arevery different from those of equity as are the financial implications of using one method of financing as opposedto the other.Cherokee Plastics Corporation is formed by a group of investors to manufacture household plastic products.Their initial capitalization goal is $50,000,000. That is, the incorporators have decided to raise $50,000,000 toacquire the initial assets of the company. They have narrowed down the financing mix alternatives to two:1. All equity financing2. $20,000,000 in debt financing and $30,000,000 in equity financingNo matter which financing alternative is chosen, the corporation expects to be able to generate a 10% annualreturn, before payment of interest and income taxes, on the $50,000,000 in assets acquired. The interest rate ondebt would be 8%. The effective income tax rate will be approximately 50%.Alternative 2 will require specified interest and principal payments to be made to the creditors at specific dates.The interest portion of these payments (interest expense) will reduce the taxable income of the corporation andhence the amount of income tax the corporation will pay. The all-equity alternative requires no specified paymentsto be made to suppliers of capital. The corporation is not legally liable to make distributions to its owners. If theboard of directors does decide to make a distribution, it is not an expense of the corporation and does not reducetaxable income and hence the taxes the corporation pays.Required:1. Prepare abbreviated income statements that compare first-year profitability for each of the two alternatives.2. Which alternative would be expected to achieve the highest first-year profits? Why?3. Which alternative would provide the highest rate of return on shareholders’ equity? Why?4. What other related implications of the decision should be considered?
A common problem facing any business entity is the debt versus equity decision. When funds are required to
obtain assets, should debt or equity financing be used? This decision also is faced when a company is initially
formed. What will be the mix of debt versus equity in the initial capital structure? The characteristics of debt are
very different from those of equity as are the financial implications of using one method of financing as opposed
to the other.
Cherokee Plastics Corporation is formed by a group of investors to manufacture household plastic products.
Their initial capitalization goal is $50,000,000. That is, the incorporators have decided to raise $50,000,000 to
acquire the initial assets of the company. They have narrowed down the financing mix alternatives to two:
1. All equity financing
2. $20,000,000 in debt financing and $30,000,000 in equity financing
No matter which financing alternative is chosen, the corporation expects to be able to generate a 10% annual
return, before payment of interest and income taxes, on the $50,000,000 in assets acquired. The interest rate on
debt would be 8%. The effective income tax rate will be approximately 50%.
Alternative 2 will require specified interest and principal payments to be made to the creditors at specific dates.
The interest portion of these payments (interest expense) will reduce the taxable income of the corporation and
hence the amount of income tax the corporation will pay. The all-equity alternative requires no specified payments
to be made to suppliers of capital. The corporation is not legally liable to make distributions to its owners. If the
board of directors does decide to make a distribution, it is not an expense of the corporation and does not reduce
taxable income and hence the taxes the corporation pays.
Required:
1. Prepare abbreviated income statements that compare first-year profitability for each of the two alternatives.
2. Which alternative would be expected to achieve the highest first-year profits? Why?
3. Which alternative would provide the highest rate of return on shareholders’ equity? Why?
4. What other related implications of the decision should be considered?
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