--%>

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 : Insurance premium in Arrears What are

    What are the Insurance premium in Arrears?

  • Q : Bonds payable A form of long-term debt

    A form of long-term debt that appears  in the liabilities section of the balance sheet. A company sells bond as a way to borrow large amount of cash. The buyer pays for the bond and receives regular interest payment, annually or semiannually, for the duration of

  • Q : Influence of lack of partnership deed

    Describe the provision of 'Indian partnership Act 1932‘concerning sharing of profits in lack of any provision in partnership deed. Answer: In the lack of any p

  • Q : Explain Dissolution 1) Dissolution ENDS

    1) Dissolution ENDS the partnership. a) Action of the parties: • By the expiration of a fixed term;• If entered

  • 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.

  • 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 : 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 : Benchmark test The process of testing a

    The process of testing a new software program using actual data and comparing the results to the alternative soft wares. The alternative can be new software or the organization's existing system. The test should be examined the software's accuracy and efficiency.

  • Q : Define Traceability Traceability : The

    Traceability: The capability to assign a cost directly to a particular activity or cost object by identifying or observing particular resources used by the activity or cost object.

  • Q : Aging of Accounts What are Aging of

    What are Aging of Accounts? Briefly illustrate it.