capital structure irrelevance theory
TRANSCRIPT
Capital structure
Irrelevance theory
By:Hassan Jan Habib
Capital structure is the proportion of debt and
preference and equity shares on a firm’s balance sheet.
Optimum capital structure is the capital structure at which the weighted average cost of capital is minimum and thereby maximum value of the firm.
Capital Structure
Capital structure theories explain the
theoretical relationship between capital structure, overall cost of capital (k0) and valuation (V ). The four important theories are:
1. Net income (NI) approach, 2. Net operating income (NOI) approach,3. Modigliani and Miller (MM) approach and4. Traditional Approach
Capital structure theories
There are only two sources of funds used by a
firm: perpetual riskless debt and ordinary shares. There are no corporate taxes. This assumption is
removed later. The dividend-payout ratio is 100. That is, the
total earnings are paid out as dividend to the shareholders and there are no retained earnings.
The total assets are given and do not change. The investment decisions are, in other words, assumed to be constant.
Assumptions
The total financing remains constant. The firm can
change its degree of leverage (capital structure) either by selling shares and use the proceeds to retire debentures or by raising more debt and reduce the equity capital.
The operating profits (EBIT) are not expected to grow.
Business risk is constant over time and is assumed to be independent of its capital structure and financial risk.
Perpetual life of the firm.
Cont’d
The essence of this approach is that capital
structure decision of a corporate does not affect its cost of capital and valuation, and, hence, irrelevant.
Net Operating Income (NOI) Approach
The NOI Approach is based on the
following propositions. Overall cost of capital/ capitalization Ratio(K◦)
is constant Residual Value of Equity Changes in cost of equity capital Optimum Capital Structure
Propositions
Market Price of Share Cost of Debt
Explicit Cost Implicit Cost
Cont’d
5
10
15
0 0.5 1.0
Degree of Leverage (B/V)Leverage and Cost of Capital (NOI Approach)
X
Y
Ke,
ki a
nd
k0 (%
)k0
ki
ke2025
k0 and ki remain unchanged as the degree of leverage changes, but as the degree of leverage increases, the ke increases continuously.
Modigliani-Miller (MM) Approach
P resented by Modigliani and Miller in 1958 Modigliani and Miller (MM) concur with NOI
and provide a operational justification for the irrelevance of capital structure.
They maintain that the cost of capital and the
value of the firm do not change with a change in leverage.
x
(in Rs)v
k 0 (
%)
Degree of Leverage (B/V)
Leverage and Cost of Capital (MM Approach)
V0
k0
The overall cost of capital (k0) and the value
of the firm (V) are independent of its capital structure
The cost of equity of a levered firm is equal to the cost of equity of an unlevered firm plus a financial risk premium, which depends on the degree of financial leverage
The discount rate for investment purposes is completely independent of the way in which an investment is financed.
Propositions
Perfect capital markets: The implication of a
perfect capital market is that investors are free to buy/sell securities investors can borrow without restrictions on the
same terms and conditions as firms can there are no transaction costs information is perfect, that is, each investor has
the same information which is readily available to him without cost and
investors are rational and behave accordingly.
Assumptions
Given the assumption of perfect information
and rationality, all investors have the same expectation of firm’s net operating income (EBIT) with which to evaluate the value of a firm.
Business risk is equal among all firms within similar operating environment.
The dividend payout ratio is 100 per cent. There are no taxes. (This assumption is removed later)
Assumptions
MM’s Proposition 1 The market value of any firm is independent
of its capital structure.
If a company has a given set of assets, changing debt to equity will change the way net operating income is divided between lenders and shareholders but will not change the value of the company.
Value of a company is given by:
0
annual net operating incomeV
k
According to the MM hypothesis, this situation cannot continue for long time, as the arbitrage
process, based on the substitutability of personal leverage for corporate leverage, will operate and the values of the two firms will be brought to an
identical level.
Proof of Proposition 1
But What if 2 identical firms except having different capital structure
and market value?
Arbitrage ProcessBuying a security in a market where price is low and selling
where it is high.
As a result, equilibrium is restored in the market price of
securities.
Example:
Suppose two firms one Levered “L” and the other unlevered “U” identical by nature i.e. capital, and profits falling in the same risk class but having different capital structure and Market value.
L U
Equity 100,000 150,000
8% Debentures 50,000 -
Market price per share
Rs. 13 Rs. 10
EBIT Rs. 20,000 Rs. 20,000
Same amount
Of capital
Same Profit
Suppose there is an investor “Mr. X”, holding 10% shares of Levered firm “L”
Since the market value of L is greater than U, where as profit is the same
So, Mr. X will sell his 10% shares in firm L=Rs. 13,000
And will raise a personal loan in the same proportion i.e. 10%
=Rs. 50,000×10%=Rs. 5000
Total cash in hand is: Rs. 13,000+5000= Rs.18,000
He will invest that amount in shares of firm U. which amounts to 12% of total shares in firm U
L U
EBIT Rs. 20,000 Rs. 20,000
Less: Interest (4000) -
EBT/NI 16,000 20,000
Dividend 10% i.e. 1600 12% i.e. 2400
Profit earned by Mr. X from Unlevered firm = Rs. 2400Less: Interest to be paid on loan(50,000×8%) = (400)
Total profit earned = Rs. 2000
By getting involved in Arbitrage process, income of Mr. X has increased from Rs. 1600 to Rs. 2000
Arbitrage process will continue till the share prices of Firm L fall and Firm U’s rises. So as to make the market prices of both firms
identical