Falling Forest Products LLC will end 2014 with a net profit before tax of $400,000. The company is subject to a 40% federal plus state income tax rate, and has 100,000 shares of cumulative preferred stock that normally pay 40 cents per share per year in preferred stock dividends. Falling Forest Products LLC has always paid preferred stock dividends, but has the flexibility to not pay when times are bad. There are 100,000 shares of common stock currently outstanding. Falling Forest Products plans on paying dividends to its common stock shareholders in 2014.
a. Calculate Falling Forest Products LLC’s 2014 earnings per share.
b. If the firm paid common stock dividends of $0.50 per share, how many dollars will go to retained earnings?
c. The lumber market just collapsed. What will happen to common stock dividends in 2013 if Falling Forest Products LLC suddenly elects to not pay preferred shareholders any dividends in 2013?