INTRODUCTION TO CORPORATE FINANCE Laurence Booth • W. Sean Cleary Prepared by Ken Hartviksen CHAPTER 22 Dividend Policy Lecture Agenda • • • • • • • • • • • Learning Objectives Important Terms Mechanics of Dividend Payments Cash Dividend Payments M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem The “Bird in the Hand” Argument Dividend Policy in Practice Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Stock Dividends and Stock Splits Share Repurchases Summary and Conclusions – Concept Review Questions CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 3 Learning Objectives You should understand the following: • The mechanics of dividend payments and why they are different from interest payments • The difference between a stock split and a stock dividend • Under what assumptions a dividend payment is irrelevant and what a homemade dividend is • Why dividend payments generally reflect the business risk of the firm • How transactions costs, taxes and information problems give value to corporate dividend policies • How stock dividends and stock splits differ • How a share repurchase program can substitute for a dividend payout policy. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 4 Important Chapter Terms • • • • • • • • Agency theory Bird in the hand argument Cash cow Declaration date Dividend reinvestment plans Dividend yield Equity market capitalization Ex-dividend date • • • • • • • • • • • Free cash flow Holder of record Homemade dividends Income stripping Odd lots Residual theory of dividends Special dividend Split shares Stock dividend Stock split Tax clienteles CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 5 Dividend Policy What is It? • Dividend policy refers to the explicit or implicit decision of the Board of Directors regarding the amount of residual earnings (past or present) that should be distributed to the shareholders of the corporation – This decision is considered a financing decision because the profits of the corporation are an important source of financing available to the firm CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 6 Types of Dividends • Dividends are a permanent distribution of residual earnings/property of the corporation to its owners • Dividends can be in the form of: – Cash – Additional shares of stock (stock dividend) – Property • If a firm is dissolved, at the end of the process, a final dividend of any residual amount is made to the shareholders – this is known as a liquidating dividend. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 7 Dividends a Financing Decision – In the absence of dividends, corporate earnings accrue to the benefit of shareholders as retained earnings and are automatically reinvested in the firm – When a cash dividend is declared, those funds leave the firm permanently and irreversibly – Distribution of earnings as dividends may starve the company of funds required for growth and expansion, and this may cause the firm to seek additional external capital Retained Earnings Corporate Profits After Tax Dividends CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 8 Dividends versus Interest Obligations Interest • Interest is a payment to lenders for the use of their funds for a given period of time • Timely payment of the required amount of interest is a legal obligation • Failure to pay interest (and fulfill other contractual commitments under the bond indenture or loan contract) is an act of bankruptcy and the lender has recourse through the courts to seek remedies • Secured lenders (bondholders) have the first claim on the firm’s assets in the case of dissolution or in the case of bankruptcy Dividends • A dividend is a discretionary payment made to shareholders • The decision to distribute dividends is solely the responsibility of the board of directors • Shareholders are residual claimants of the firm (they have the last, and residual claim on assets on dissolution and on profits after all other claims have been fully satisfied) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 9 Dividend Payments Mechanics of Cash Dividend Payments Declaration Date – The date on which the Board of Directors meet and declare the dividend. In their resolution the Board will set the date of record, the date of payment and the amount of the dividend for each share class. – When CARRIED, this resolution makes the dividend a current liability for the firm. Date of Record – The date on which the shareholders register is closed after the trading day and all those who are listed will receive the dividend. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 10 Dividend Payments Mechanics of Cash Dividend Payments Ex dividend Date – The date that the value of the firm’s common shares will reflect the dividend payment (i.e.. fall in value) – ‘Ex’ means without. – At the start of trading on the ex-dividend date, the share price will normally open for trading at the previous days close, less the value of the dividend per share. This reflects the fact that purchasers of the stock on the exdividend date and beyond WILL NOT receive the declared dividend. Date of Payment – The date the cheques for the dividend are mailed out to the shareholders. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 11 Dividend Declaration Time Line 2 business days prior to the Date of Record Declaration Date The Board Meets and passes the motion to create the dividend Date of Record Date of Payment Ex Dividend Date is determined by the Date of Record. The market value of the shares drops by the value of the dividend per share on market opening…compared to the previous day’s close. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 12 Trade Settlement and the Ex Dividend Date Changes in the Settlement Cycle • In June 1995 the settlement cycle for all non-money-market Canadian and U.S. securities was reduced from five business days (T + 5) to three business days (T + 3). • The rationale for the change stems from the 1987 stock market crash when it was realized that a securities market failure could result in a credit market failure. The gridlock created in 1990 by the bankruptcy of Drexel Burnham Lambert, a large U.S. broker, increased the need to minimize the risks involved in the clearing and settlement of securities. • The shortened settlement cycle requires that the payment of funds and the delivery of securities take place on the third business day after the trade date. This will reduce credit, market and liquidity risks by decreasing post-trade settlement exposure. Ex Dividend Date • The date is not chosen by the board of directors, rather it is determined as a result of the exchanges settlement practices and is a function of the date of record. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 13 Dividend Policy Dividends, Shareholders and the Board of Directors • There is no legal obligation for firms to pay dividends to common shareholders • Shareholders cannot force a Board of Directors to declare a dividend, and courts will not interfere with the BOD’s right to make the dividend decision because: – Board members are jointly and severally liable for any damages they may cause – Board members are constrained by legal rules affecting dividends including: • Not paying dividends out of capital • Not paying dividends when that decision could cause the firm to become insolvent • Not paying dividends in contravention of contractual commitments (such as debt covenant agreements) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 14 Dividend Payments Dividend Reinvestment Plans (DRIPs) • DRIPs involve shareholders deciding to use the cash dividend proceeds to buy more shares of the firm – DRIPs will buy as many shares as the cash dividend allows with the residual deposited as cash – Leads to shareholders owning odd lots (less than 100 shares) • Firms are able to raise additional common stock capital continuously at no cost and fosters an ongoing relationship with shareholders CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 15 Dividend Payments Stock Dividends • Stock dividends simply amount to distribution of additional shares to existing shareholders • They represent nothing more than recapitalization of earnings of the company. (that is, the amount of the stock dividend is transferred from the R/E account to the common share account. • Because of the capital impairment rule stock dividends reduce the firm’s ability to pay dividends in the future. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 16 Dividend Payments Stock Dividends Implications – reduction in the R/E account – reduced capacity to pay future dividends – proportionate share ownership remains unchanged – shareholder’s wealth (theoretically) is unaffected Effect on the Company – conserves cash – serves to lower the market value of firm’s stock modestly – promotes wider distribution of shares to the extent that current owners divest themselves of shares...because they have more – adjusts the capital accounts – dilutes EPS Effect on Shareholders – proportion of ownership remains unchanged – total value of holdings remains unchanged – if former DPS is maintained, this really represents an increased dividend payout CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 17 Dividend Payments Stock Dividend Example ABC Company Equity Accounts as at February xx, 20x9 Common stock (215,000) $5,000,000 Retained earnings 20,000,000 Net Worth $25,000,000 • The company, on March 1, 20x9 declares a 10 percent stock dividend when the current market price for the stock is $40.00 per share • This stock dividend will increase the number of shares outstanding by 10 percent. This will mean issuing 21,500 shares. The value of the shares is: $40.00 (21,500) = $860,000 • This stock dividend will result in $860,000 being transferred from the retained earnings account to the common stock account: CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 18 Dividend Payments Stock Dividend Example After the stock dividend: ABC Company Equity Accounts as at March 1, 20x9 Common stock (236,500) Retained earnings Net worth $5,860,000 19,140,000 $25,000,000 The market price of the stock will be affected by the stock dividend: New Share Price = Old Price/ (1.1) = $40.00/1.1 = $36.36 The individual shareholder’s wealth will remain unchanged. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 19 Dividend Payments Stock Splits • Although there is no theoretical proof, there is some who believe that an optimal price range exists for a company’s common shares. • It is generally felt that there is greater demand for shares of companies that are traded in the $40 - $80 dollar range. • The purpose of a stock split is to decrease share price. • The result is: – increase in the number of share outstanding – theoretically, no change in shareholder wealth • Reasons for use: – better share price trading range – psychological appeal (signalling affect) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 20 Dividend Payments Stock Split Example The Board of Directors of XYZ Company is considering using a stock split to put its shares into a better trading range. They are confident that the firm’s stock price will continue to rise given the firm’s outstanding financial performance. Currently, the company’s shares are trading for $150 and the company’s shareholders equity accounts are as follows: Commons shares (100,000 outstanding) $1,500,000 Retained earnings 15,000,000 Net Worth $16,500,000 A 2 for 1 Stock Split: New Share Price = P0[1/(2/1)] = $150[1/(2/1)] = $150[.5] = $75.00 The firm’s equity accounts: Commons shares (200,000 outstanding) $1,500,000 Retained earnings 15,000,000 Net Worth $16,500,000 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 21 Dividend Payments Further Stock Split Examples A 4 for 3 Stock Split: New Share Price = P0[1/(4/3)] = $150[1/(4/3)] = $150[.75] = $112.50 The firm’s equity accounts: Commons shares (133,333 outstanding) Retained earnings Net Worth $1,500,000 15,000,000 $16,500,000 A 3 for 4 Reverse Stock Split: New Share Price = P0[1/(3/4)] = $150[1/(3/4)] = $150[1.33] = $200.00 The firm’s equity accounts: Commons shares (75,000 outstanding) Retained earnings Net Worth $1,500,000 15,000,000 $16,500,000 Clearly the Board can use stock splits and reverse stock splits to place the firm’s stock in a particular trading range. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 22 Dividend Payments Stock Split Effects • Shareholders wealth should remain unaffected: Original Holdings: (100 shares @ $150/share) = $15,000 After a 4 for 1 split: (400 shares @ $37.50/share) = $15,000 • The above will hold true if there is no psychological appeal to the stock split • There is some evidence that the share price of companies which split stock is more bouyant because of a positive signal being transferred to the market by this action. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 23 Stock Dividends versus Stock Splits Stock Dividends Stock Splits •lowers stock price slightly •large drop in stock price •little psychological appeal •much stronger potential signalling effect •recapitalization of earnings •no recapitalization •no change in proportional •same ownership •odd lots created •odd lots rare •theoretically, no value to the investor •same CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 24 Cash Dividend Payments The Macro Perspective • Figure 22-2 illustrates: – Aggregate after-tax profits run at approximately 6% of GDP but are highly variable – Aggregate dividends are relatively stable when compared to after-tax profits. • They are sustained in the face of drops in profit during recessions • They are held reasonably constant in the face of peaks in aggregate profits. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 25 Cash Dividend Payments Aggregate Dividends and Profits FIGURE 22-2 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 26 Cash Dividend Payments The Macro Perspective • Figure 22-3 illustrates: – Aggregate Dividend payouts further illustrates the effects of relatively stable dividend payouts in the face of profit volatility: • The normal aggregate dividend payout rate is about 40% of after-tax profit • When profits drop and dividends are held constant, payout rates rise to 100% (See Figure 22 - 2 on the following slide) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 27 Cash Dividend Payments Aggregate Dividend Payouts FIGURE 22-3 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 28 Cash Dividend Payments The Macro Perspective - Question • Why are dividends smoothed and not matched to profits? CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 29 Cash Dividend Payments The Micro Perspective • Table 22 -1 contains dividend yields for selected companies. – The companies chosen here illustrate the dramatic differences between companies: • Some pay no dividends • Some pay consistent cash dividends representing substantial yields on current shares prices – The highest yields are found in the case of Income Trusts and large stable ‘blue-chip’ financials and utilities CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 30 Cash Dividend Payments Dividend Yields Table 22-1 S&P/TSX 60 Index Dividend Yields BCE Celestica Inc. CIBC Cott Corporation Kinross Gold Corporation TransAlta Corporation Yellow Pages Income Fund 1996 % 1997 % 1998 % 1999 % 2000 % 2001 % 2002 % 2003 % 2004 % 2005 % Average 4.69 0 3.67 0.23 0 6.22 3.42 0 3.07 0.53 0 5.16 2.52 0 2.85 0.54 0 4.52 1.41 0 3.37 0 0 5.35 1.07 0 3.17 0 0 5.59 3.15 0 2.9 0 0 4.06 3.99 0 3.48 0 0 4.92 4.08 0 3.28 0 0 5.73 4.29 0 3.31 0 0 5.88 7.34 4.44 0 3.57 0 0 4.51 7.09 3.31 0.00 3.27 0.13 0.00 5.19 7.22 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 31 Modigliani and Miller’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem The value of M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance argument is that in the end, it shows where value can be created with dividend policy and why. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 32 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem M&M, Dividends, and Firm Value Start with the single-period DDM: [ 22-1] D1 P1 P0 (1 Ke ) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 33 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem M&M, Dividends, and Firm Value • Multiply by the number of shares outstanding (m) to convert the single stock price model to a model to value the whole firm: [ 22-2] m( D1 P1 ) mP0 V0 (1 Ke ) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 34 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem Assumptions • No Taxes • Perfect capital markets – large number of individual buyers and sellers – costless information – no transaction costs • All firms maximize value • There is no debt CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 35 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem M&M, Dividends, and Firm Value • Without debt, sources and uses of funds identity (sources = uses) can be expressed as: [ 22-3] X 1 nP1 I1 mD1 • Where: X I X–I mD1 represents cash flow from operations represents investment is free cash flow is dividend to current shareholders at time 1 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 36 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem M&M, Dividends, and Firm Value • Solving for dividends paid out (mD1 ): mD1 X 1 nP1 I1 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 37 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem M&M, Dividends, and Firm Value • If a firm pays out dividends that exceeds its free cash flow (X –I), then it must issue new common shares to pay for these dividends. • Substituting into Equation 22 – 2 we get: [ 22-4] X1 I1 [( m n) P1 V1 ] V0 (1 K ) • The value of the firm is the value of the next period’s free cash flow (X1 –I1) plus the next period’s equity market value… CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 38 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem M&M, Dividends, and Firm Value • The firm value is determined as the present value of the free cash flows to the equity holders: X t It V0 t ( 1 K ) t 1 [ 22-5] Value has nothing to do with dividends • The dividend is equal to the free cash flow each period, and dividends are therefore a residual after the firm has taken care of all of its investment requirements – this is the Residual Theory of Dividends CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 39 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem Residual Theory of Dividends The Residual Theory of Dividends suggests that logically, each year, management should: – Identify free cash flow generated in the previous period – Identify investment projects that have positive NPVs – Invest in all positive NPV projects • If free cash flow is insufficient, then raise external capital – in this case no dividend is paid • If free cash flow exceeds investment requirements, the residual amount is distributed in the form of cash dividends. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 40 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem Residual Theory of Dividends - Implication The implication of the Residual Theory of Dividends are: Investment decisions are independent of the firm’s dividend policy • • • No firm would pass on a positive NPV project because of the lack of funds, because, by definition the incremental cost of those funds is less than the IRR of the project, so the value of the firm is maximized only if the project is undertaken. If the firm can’t make good use of free cash flow (ie. It has no projects with IRRs > cost of capital) then those funds should be distributed back to shareholders in the form of dividends for them to invest on their own. The firm should operate where Marginal Cost equals Marginal Revenue as seen in Figure 22 – 4 on the following slide: CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 41 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem Internal Funds, Investment, and Dividends 22 - 4 FIGURE OPTIMAL INVESTMENT Rate of Return MC=MR IOS WACC Internal Funds Available $11,976 Million $177,607 Million CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 42 M&M’s Dividend Irrelevance Theorem Homemade Dividends • Shareholders can buy or sell shares in an underlying company to create their own cash flow pattern. – They don’t need management declare a cash dividend, they can create their own. Conclusion: under the assumptions of M&M’s model, the investor is indifferent to the firm’s dividend policy. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 43 The “Bird-in-the-Hand” Argument M&M’s Assumptions Relaxed • Risk is a real world factor. • Firm’s that reinvest free cash flow, put that money at risk – there is no certainty of investment outcome – those forfeit dividends that are reinvested…could be lost! • Remember the two-stage DDM? CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 44 The “Bird-in-the-Hand” Argument M&M’s Assumptions Relaxed • Remember the two-stage DDM? [ 22-6] ROE 2 K e ROE1 BVPS Inv P ( ) Ke (1 K e ) Ke – The first term is the present value of existing opportunities (PVEO) – The second term is the present value of growth opportunities (PVGO) – These forecast returns face risks of new market entrants to compete for the excess profits forecast in emerging opportunities making PVGO extremely vulnerable. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 45 The “Bird-in-the-Hand” Argument M&M’s Assumptions Relaxed • Myron Gordon suggests that dividends are more stable than capital gains and are therefore more highly valued by investors. • This implies that investors perceive non-dividend paying firms to be riskier and apply a higher discount rate to value them causing the share price to fall. • The difference between the M&M and Gordon arguments are illustrated in Figure 22 - 5 on the following slide: – M&M argue that dividends and capital gains are perfect substitutes CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 46 The “Bird-in-the-Hand” Argument M&M versus Gordon’s Bird in the Hand Theory 22 - 5 FIGURE OPTIMAL INVESTMENT D1 P0 Gordon P1 P0 P0 M&M CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 47 The “Bird-in-the-Hand” Argument M&M versus Gordon’s Bird in the Hand Theory Conclusions: – Firms cannot change underlying operational characteristics by changing the dividend – The dividend should reflect the firm’s operations through the residual value of dividends CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 48 Dividend Policy in Practice • Firms smooth their dividends – Firms tend to hold dividends constant, even in the face of increasing after-tax profit – Firms are very reluctant to cut dividends CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 49 Dividend Policy in Practice Lintner’s Work on Dividend Adjustment • John Lintner suggested a partial adjustment model to explain the smoothing of dividend behaviour illustrating that firms slowly change dividends as they move toward a new target level: [ 22-7] ΔDt β(Dt* -Dt-1 ) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 50 Dividend Policy in Practice Lintner’s Work on Dividend Adjustment • The target dividend Dt* Lintner suggested is a function of the firm’s optimal payout rate of the firm’s underlying earnings (Et) leading to the following equation: [ 22-8] Dt a (1 b) Dt-1 cE1 • The coefficient on lagged dividends was estimated at 0.70 indicating an adjustment speed (b) coefficent of 0.30. • The coefficient on current earnings (c) was estimated at 0.15 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 51 Dividend Policy in Practice Lintner’s Work on Dividend Adjustment Implications – The speed of dividend adjustment is only about 30 percent – Firms are very reluctant to fully adjust – Firms do not follow a policy of paying a constant proportion of earnings out as dividends Dividend policy in practice does not follow M&M’s irrelevance arguments because the real world does not match the assumptions used. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 52 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Welcome to the Real World! Transactions Costs – Underwriting costs are very high, providing a strong incentive for firms to finance growth out of free cash flow – Facing these high underwriting costs firms: • With high growth rates have little incentive to pay dividends • With volatile earnings conserve cash from year to year to finance projects and therefore pay very conservative dividends CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 53 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Welcome to the Real World! Dividends and Signalling – Under conditions of information asymmetry, shareholders and the investing public watch for management signals (actions) about what management knows. – Management is therefore very cautious about dividend changes…they don’t want to create high expectations (this is the reason for extra or special dividends) that will lead to disappointment, and they don’t want to have investors over react to negative earnings surprises (the sticky dividend phenomenon) (The Signalling Model is explained in Figure 22 – 6 found on the next slide.) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 54 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions The Signalling Model 22 - 6 FIGURE et $ et* dt* dt 1 2 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 3 Time 22 - 55 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Welcome to the Real World! Agency Theory – Investors are wary of senior management so they seek to put controls in place. – There is a fear that managers may waste corporate resources by over-investing in low or poor NPV projects. – Gordon Donaldson argued this is the reason for the pecking order managements tend to use when raising capital • Shareholders would prefer to receive a dividend and then have management file a prospectus, justifying investment in projects and the need to raise the capital that was just distributed as a dividend. • Shareholders are prepared to pay those additional underwriting costs as an agency cost incurred to monitor and assess management. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 56 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Welcome to the Real World! Taxes and the Clientele Effect – Table 22 -3 (on the following slide) illustrates that different classes of investors face different tax brackets – Preference for dividends versus capital gains income depends on the province of residence and taxable income level leading to tax clienteles. • High income earners tend to prefer capital gains (there is an additional tax incentive for such individuals in that they can choose the timing of the sale of their investment…remember only ‘realized’ capital gains are subject to tax • Low income earners tend to prefer dividends Conclusion – firm’s should not change dividend policy drastically since it upsets the existing ownership base. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 57 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Taxes Table 22-3 Individual Tax Rates (% ) on Dividends and Capital Gains Income Level British Columbia Alberta Ontario Quebec Nova Scotia Dividends Capital gains Dividends Capital gains Dividends Capital gains Dividends Capital gains Dividends Capital gains $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 2.52 12.45 3.63 12.63 0.00 10.65 5.95 14.37 0.00 12.02 6.19 15.58 8.03 16.00 8.24 15.58 15.42 19.19 8.75 18.48 15.69 18.85 13.83 18.00 20.74 21.71 26.06 22.86 17.05 21.34 20.04 20.35 13.83 18.00 20.74 21.71 26.06 22.86 19.06 22.63 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 58 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions Repackaging Dividend-Paying Securities • Tax clienteles help to explain the financial engineering whereby different parts of the return by the firm are stripped, repackaged and sold to different investors as illustrated in Figure 22 – 7. (See the following slide) • Split shares are shares sold as the dividends and capital gains parts. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 59 Relaxing the M&M Assumptions MYW’s B Corporation Shares 22 - 7 FIGURE 6 P0 t 1 dt P0 (1 k ) t (1 k ) 6 $454 million MYW $143 million $330 million dt min($ 30, P6 1) Pref (1 k )6 t 1 (1 k ) t 6 P6 min($ 30, P6 1) IR (1 k ) 6 CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 60 Share Repurchases • Simply another form of payout policy. • An alternative to cash dividend where the objective is to increase the price per share rather than paying a dividend. • Since there are rules against improper accumulation of funds, firms adopt a policy of large infrequent share repurchase programs. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 61 Share Repurchases • allowed under the OBCA and CBCA • reasons for use: – – – – – – Offsetting the exercise of executive stock options Leveraged recapitalizations Information or signalling effects Repurchase dissident shares Removing cash without generating expectations for future distributions Take the firm private. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 62 Disadvantages of Share Repurchases • • • they are usually done on an irregular basis, so a shareholder cannot depend on income from this source. if regular repurchases are made, there is a good chance that Revenue Canada will rule that the repurchases were simply a tax avoidance scheme (to avoid tax on dividends) and will assess tax there may be some agency problems - if managers have inside information, they are purchasing from shareholders at a price less than the intrinsic value of the shares. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 63 Methods of Share Repurchases • tender offer: – • open market purchase: – – • this is a formal offer to purchase a given number of shares at a given price over current market price. the purchase of shares through an investment dealer like any other investor this is not designed for large block purchases. private negotiation with major shareholders In any repurchase program, the securities commission requires disclosure of the event as well as all other material information through a prospectus. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 64 Repurchased Shares • • • • • called treasury stock (U.S.) non-voting (U.S.) may not receive dividends (U.S.) if not retired, can be resold (U.S.) unlike the U.S., repurchases in Canada do not involve shares that can be placed into treasury stock - they are canceled CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 65 Repurchase Example Current EPS = [total earnings] / [# of shares] = $4.4 m / 1.1 m = $4.00 Current P/E ratio = $20 / $4 = 5X EPS after repurchase of 100,000 shares = $4.4 m / 1.0 = $4.40 Expected market price after repurchase: = [p/e][EPSnew] = [5][$4.40] = $22.00 per share CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 66 Effects of A Share Repurchase • EPS should increase following the repurchase if earnings after-tax remains the same • a higher market price per outstanding share of common stock should result • stockholders not selling their shares back to the firm will enjoy a capital gain if the repurchase increases the stock price. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 67 Advantages of Share Repurchases • • • • • signal positive information about the firm’s future cash flows used to effect a large-scale change in the firm’s capital structure increase investor’s return without creating an expectation of higher future cash dividends reduce future cash dividend requirements or increase cash dividends per share on the remaining shares, without creating a continuing incremental cash drain capital gains treated more favourably than cash dividends for tax purposes. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 68 Disadvantages of Share Repurchases • signal negative information about the firm’s future growth and investment opportunities • the provincial securities commission may raise questions about the intention • share repurchase may not qualify the investor for a capital gain CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 69 Borrowing to Pay Dividends • • Is this legal? is it possible to do? Yes – – – – • the firm must have the ability and capacity to borrow the firm must have sufficient retained earnings to allow it to pay the dividend the firm must have sufficient cash on hand to pay the cash dividend the firm must NOT have agreed to any limitations on the payment of dividends under the bond indenture. Why? – A possible answer is to signal to the market that the board is confident about the firm’s ability to sustain cash dividends into the future. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 70 Borrowing to Pay Dividends An Example Before Borrowing: Assets: Cash Fixed Assets Total Assets 0% Debt Liabilities: 10 140 $150 Long-term Debt 0 Common Stock 50 Retained Earnings 100 Total Claims $150 After Borrowing…before cash dividend: Assets: Cash Fixed Assets Total Assets 25% Debt Liabilities: 60 140 $200 Long-term Debt 50 Common Stock 50 Retained Earnings 100 Total Claims CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy $200 22 - 71 Borrowing to Pay Dividends An Example … After Dividend Declaration…before date of payment. Assets: Cash Fixed Assets Total Assets Liabilities: 60 140 $200 Current liabilities Long-term Debt Common Shares Retained earnings Total Claims 50 50 50 50 $200 After Cash Dividend payment of $50 Assets: Cash Fixed Assets Total Assets 50% Debt 33% Debt Liabilities: 10 140 $150 Long-term Debt Common Stock Retained earnings Claims CHAPTER 22 Total – Dividend Policy 50 50 50 $150 22 - 72 Borrowing to Pay Dividends An Example • The foregoing example illustrates: – – – – – it is possible for a firm with ‘borrowing capacity’ to borrow funds to pay cash dividends. this is not possible if the lenders insist on restrictive covenants that limit or prevent this from occurring. the cash for the dividend must be present in the cash account. payment of dividends reduces both the cash account on the asset side of the balance sheet as well as the retained earnings account on the ‘claims’ side of the balance sheet. in the absence of restrictions, it is possible to transfer wealth from the bondholders to the stockholders. (Bondholders in this example may have thought their firm would have only a 25% debt ratio….after the dividend the debt ratio rose to 33% and the equity cusion dropped from 75% to 66%.) CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 73 Summary and Conclusions In this chapter you have learned: – About the different types of dividends including, regular and special cash dividends, stock dividends, stock splits as well as share repurchases. – M&M’s dividend irrelevance argument and the real world factors such as transactions costs, taxes, clientele effects and signalling tend to favour real-world dividend relevance – Tax motives and other reasons explain why firms might want to repurchase their shares. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 74 Copyright Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work beyond that permitted by Access Copyright (the Canadian copyright licensing agency) is unlawful. Requests for further information should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd. The purchaser may make back-up copies for his or her own use only and not for distribution or resale. The author and the publisher assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages caused by the use of these files or programs or from the use of the information contained herein. CHAPTER 22 – Dividend Policy 22 - 75