--%>

Effect of illegal obligations on cost of equity

If dividends paid to common stockholders are not legal obligations of a corporation, is the cost of equity zero?  Describe your answer.

Even though common stockholders do not contain a contractual claim on dividends the funds supplied by stockholders definitely contain a cost.  Equity investors are paid last and therefore they are taking the greatest risk among all of the suppliers of capital.  If the company does not get a higher rate of return onto equity funds to compensate for the higher risk taken through equity investors, the price of the stock will fall and thus the value of the firm. 

   Related Questions in Managerial Accounting

  • Q : Why wealth creation is a longer-term

    Write a short note on why wealth creation is a longer-term concept?

  • Q : Conditions in which fixed capital of

    Give circumstances in which the fixed capital of partners might change. Answer: Two circumstances in which the fixed capital of Partners might change are as follows:

  • Q : Define Partnership deed Partnership

    Partnership deed: Partnership deed is a written agreement including the terms and conditions agreed by all the Partners.

  • Q : Annual report A company's annual report

      A company's annual report is the single most important way for it to convey itself to potential investors. As such, it should be no surprise tha

  • Q : Assigning Support cost What are various

    What are various methods to assign support cost?

  • Q : Reliability-Accounting information What

    What do you mean by the term Reliability which is accounting information?

  • Q : Accounting Information Systems &

    You must prove your calculations The following information pertains to Blue Company revenue cycle and was reported at December 31, 2011. Year 2011, additional information is as follows: 1.       100 units that was purchased fo

  • Q : Analysis on Business Profile BUSINESS

    BUSINESS PROFILES:Go to the following webpage by clicking on the link or by copying and pasting the URL into your web browser:After opening the link, you will see a small cover page of the West Newsmagazine’s publication titled “Business Profiles&rdq

  • Q : Calculate From the books of Aggarwal

    From the books of Aggarwal Bors, the following information have been extracted: Rs. Sales 2,40,000 Variable costs 1,44,000 Fixed costs 26,000 Profit before tax 70,000 Rate of tax 40% The firm is proposing to buy a new plant which can generate additional annual profit of Rs. 10,000. The fixed

  • Q : Define Cost Object Cost Object (also

    Cost Object (also referred to as Cost Objective): It is an activity, item, or output whose cost is to be computed. In a wide sense, a cost object can be an organizational division, task, a function, product, service, or a customer.