-
Using a numeric example, illustrate and explain the pay-offs of a futures option and a futures
contract.
Date posted:
April 16, 2021
-
A comparative study of the records of two oil companies, A Ltd. and B Ltd., in terms of their asset composition, capital structure and profitability shows that they have been very similar for the past five years. The only significant difference between the two firms is their dividend policy. A Ltd. maintains a constant dividend per share while B Ltd. maintains a constant dividend pay-out ratio. Relevant data is as follows:
Required:
a) For each company, determine the dividend pay-out ratio and the price – earnings ratio for each of
the five years.
b) B Ltd‟s management is surprised that the shares of this company have not performed as well
as A Ltd‟s in the stock exchange. What explanation would you offer for this state of affairs?
c) Comment on the applicability of the Simple Price/Earnings (P/E) ratio to the typical technology
(IT) company with a high valuation and heavy losses.
Date posted:
April 16, 2021
-
A Kenyan company has agreed to sell goods to an importer in Zedland at an invoiced price of
Z 150,000 (Zed (Z) is the currency of Zedland). Of this amount, Z 60,000 will be payable on
shipment, Z 45,000 one month after shipment and Z 45,000 three months after shipment.
The quoted foreign exchange rates (Z per KSh.) at the date of shipment as as follows:
Spot 1.690 - 1.692
One month 1.687 - 1.690
Three months 1.680 - 1.684
The company decides to enter into appropriate forward exchange contracts through a bank in
order to hedge these transactions.
Required:
i) State the advantages of hedging in this way.
ii) Calculate the amount in Kenya Shillings that the Kenyan Company would receive.
iii) Comment with hindsight on the wisdom of hedging in this instance, assuming that the spot rates at
the dates of receipt of the two instalments of Z 45,000 were as follows:
Fist instalment 1.69 - 1.69
Second instalment 1.700 - 1.704
Date posted:
April 16, 2021
-
KK Ltd. and KT Ltd. are two companies in the printing industry. The companies have the same business
risk and are almost identical in all respects for their capital structures and total market values. The companies
capital structures are summarized below:
KT‟s ordinary shares are trading at Sh.170 and debentures at Sh.100. Annual earnings
before interest and tax for each company is Sh.50 million.
Corporate tax is at the rate of 30%.
Required:
a) If you owned 4% of the ordinary shares of KT Ltd. and you agreed with the arguments of
Modigliani and Miller, explain what action you would take to improve your financial position.
b) Estimate by how much your financial position is expected to improve. Personal taxes may be
ignored and assumptions made by Modigliani and Miller may be used.
c) If KK Ltd. was to borrow Sh.40 million, compute and explain the effect this would have on the
company‟s cost of capital according to Modigliani and Miller. What implications would this suggest
for the company‟s choice of capital structure?
Date posted:
April 16, 2021
-
Jabali Ltd. is a quoted company which is financed by 10,000,000 ordinary shares and Sh.50,000,000 of
irredeemable 8% debentures. The market value of the shares is Sh.20 each ex-div and an annual dividend of
Sh.4 per share is expected to be paid in perpetuity. The debentures are considered to be risk-free and are
valued at par.
Mr. Jabali the managing director of the company is wondering whether to invest in a project which cost
Sh.20 million and yield Sh.3.8 million a year before tax in perpetuity. The project has an estimated beta value
of 1.25. The return from a well-diversified market portfolio is 16%.
Required:
a) The weighted average cost of capital of the company.
b) The beta of the company.
c) The beta of an equivalent ungeared company ignoring taxes.
d) Advise the company whether/or not the project should be accepted. In your explanation, highlight
the significance of your calculations in (a), (b) and (c) above.
Date posted:
April 16, 2021
-
Company A is considering investing in a project which has a three year life. The project would involve an initial investment of Sh.20 million. The finance manager has come up with expected probabilities for various possible economic conditions as follows:
Required:
Assuming a discount rate of 15% should company A invest in the project?
Date posted:
April 16, 2021
-
Mr. Mlachake is currently holding a portfolio consisting of shares of four companies quoted on the Bahati Stock Exchange as follows:
The current market return is 14% per annum and the treasury bills yield is 9% per annum.
Required:
(i) Calculate the risk of Mlachake‟s portfolio relative to that of the market.
(ii) Explain whether or not Mlachake should change the composition of his portfolio.
Date posted:
April 16, 2021