
Chapter 11, C 2.
terest rates decline and a company wishes to refinance the stock, it can call the
mon stock rises above the conversion price, the price of the preferred stock will
PERCs are popular with companies because they provide great flexibility. If the in-
long-term debt. Another advantage is that issuing stock is less risky than issuing
reduces the company’s ability to use financial leverage to increase the return on
ible, whereas dividends paid on common stock are not.
equity over the return on assets. Also, the interest paid on bonds is tax-deduct-
to be repaid. These are effects that could improve DreamWorks’ bond rating and
dividend rate, they are classified on the balance sheet as equity. This is very im-
portant to companies that have suffered losses resulting in decreased stockhold-
stock and retire it. If a company does not have the cash to redeem the shares, it
assets. From the investor’s standpoint, the dividend is fixed, like bond interest.
The value of the preferred stock varies with changes in the market rate of interest,
also like bond prices. If the preferred stock is convertible and the price of the com-
then rise with the common price (in which case the investor has a capital gain).
An advantage of issuing common stock is that it improves the company’s debt to
Chapter 11, C 1.
equity ratio by increasing the amount of common stock outstanding in relation to
Even though preferred stocks have some characteristics of bonds, such as a fixed
ers’ equity and to banks, which must maintain minimum ratios of capital to total
bonds because dividends do not have to be paid on stock and there is no debt
lower the interest it might pay on future bond issues. A disadvantage of issuing
ers unless they buy more shares. In addition, when the company is profitable, it
stock is that it dilutes the share of the company owned by the current stockhold-