The Board of Directors of a listed company wish to estimate a reasonable valuation of the entire share capital of the company in the event of a takeover bid.
The company's current profit before taxation is $4.0 million.
The rate of corporate tax is 25%.
The average P/E multiple of listed companies in the same industry is 8 times current earnings.
The P/E multiple of recent takeovers in the same industry have ranged from 9 times to 10 times current earnings.
The average P/E multiple of the top 100 companies on the stock market is 15 times current earnings.
Advise the Board of Directors which of the following is a reasonable estimate of a range of values of the entire share capital in the event of a bid being made for the whole company?

A listed company is considering either a one-off special divided or a share repurchase scheme to reduce its surplus cash level.
Identify TWO advantages that a one-off special payment has over a share repurchase scheme.

Company A has a cash surplus.
The discount rate used for a typical project is the company's weighted average cost of capital of 10%.
No investment projects will be available for at least 2 years.
Which of the following is currently most likely to increase shareholder wealth in respect of the surplus cash?

A company's dividend policy is to pay out 50% of its earnings.
Its most recent earnings per share was $0.50, and it has just paid a dividend per share of $0.25.
Currently, dividends are forecast to grow at 2% each year in perpetuity and the cost of equity is 10.5%.
In order to grow its earnings and dividends, the company is considering undertaking a new investment funded entirely by debt finance. If the investment is undertaken:
* Its cost of equity will immediately increase to 12% due to the increased finance risk.
* Its earnings and dividends will immediately commence growing at 4% each year in perpetuity.
Which of the following is the expected percentage change in the share price if the new investment is undertaken?

The Board of Directors of a small listed company engaged in exploration are currently considering the future dividend policy of the company. Exploration is considered a high-risk business and consequently the company has a low level of debt finance.
Forecasts indicate a period of profit fluctuation in the next few years as the company is planning to embark on a major capital investment project. Debt finance is unlikely to be available due to the project's high business risk.
Which THREE of the following are practical considerations when determining the company's dividend/retention policy?