CHAPTER 13
Capital Structure and
Leverage
Business vs. financial risk
Optimal capital structure
Operating leverage
Capital structure theory
13-1
What is business risk?
Uncertainty about future operating income (EBIT),
i.e., how well can we predict operating income?
Low risk
Probability
High risk
0
E(EBIT)
EBIT
Note that business risk does not include financing
effects.
13-2
What determines business
risk?
Uncertainty about demand (sales).
Uncertainty about output prices.
Uncertainty about costs.
Product, other types of liability.
Operating leverage.
13-3
What is operating leverage, and
how does it affect a firms
business risk?
Operating leverage is the use of
fixed costs rather than variable
costs.
If most costs are fixed, hence do
not decline when demand falls,
then the firm has high operating
leverage.
13-4
Effect of operating
leverage
More operating leverage leads to
more business risk, for then a
small sales decline causes a big
profit
decline.
Rev.
Rev.
$
$
TC
Profit
TC
FC
FC
QBE
Sales
QBE
Sales
13-5
What is financial leverage?
Financial risk?
Financial leverage is the use of
debt and preferred stock.
Financial risk is the additional
risk concentrated on common
stockholders as a result of
financial leverage.
13-6
Business risk vs. Financial
risk
Business risk depends on
business factors such as
competition, product liability, and
operating leverage.
Financial risk depends only on the
types of securities issued.
More debt, more financial risk.
13-7
An example:
Illustrating effects of financial
leverage
Two firms with the same operating
leverage, business risk, and probability
distribution of EBIT.
Only differ with respect to their use of
debt (capital structure).
Firm U
No debt
$20,000
40% tax
Firm L
$10,000 of 12% debt
in assets
$20,000 in assets
rate 40% tax rate
13-8
Firm U: Unleveraged
Prob.
EBIT
Interest
EBT
Taxes (40%)
NI
Economy
Bad
Avg.
0.25
0.50
$2,000
$3,000
0
0
$2,000
$3,000
800
1,200
$1,200
$1,800
Good
0.25
$4,000
0
$4,000
1,600
$2,400
13-9
Firm L: Leveraged
Prob.*
EBIT*
Interest
EBT
Taxes (40%)
NI
Economy
Bad
Avg.
0.25
0.50
$2,000
$3,000
1,200
1,200
$ 800
$1,800
320
720
$ 480
$1,080
Good
0.25
$4,000
1,200
$2,800
1,120
$1,680
*Same as for Firm U.
13-10
Ratio comparison between
leveraged and unleveraged
firms
FIRM U
Bad Avg Good
ROE
TIE
6.0%
FIRM L
Bad Avg Good
ROE
TIE
4.8%
1.67x
9.0%
12.0%
10.8%
2.50x
16.8%
3.30x
13-11
Optimal Capital Structure
That capital structure (mix of
debt, preferred, and common
equity) at which P0 is maximized.
The target capital structure is the
mix of debt, preferred stock, and
common equity with which the
firm intends to raise capital.
13-12
Optimal Capital Structure
EBIT X (1 T)
V=
WACC
Where,
EBIT = Earnings before interest and taxes
T = Tax rate
WACC = Weighted Average Cost of Capital
13-13
Graphical View of Optimal Capital
Structure
Figure: Cost Functions and Value: Capital costs and the optimal capital structure
V*
Value
value of the firm
Cost of equity
Cost of Debt
Annual Cost (%)
WACC
M* = Optimal Capital Structure
Gearing Level
Source: (Gitman & Hennessey, 2004)
Finding Optimal Capital
Structure
The firms optimal capital
structure can be determined two
ways:
Minimizes WACC.
Maximizes EPS.
13-15
Table for calculating WACC
and determining the
minimum WACC
Amount D/A ratio
borrowed
0.00%
$
0
12.50
250
25.00
500
37.50
750
50.00
1,000
E/A
ratio
ks
kd (1 T) WACC
100.00% 12.00% 0.00%
12.00%
87.50
12.51
4.80
11.55
75.00
13.20
5.40
11.25
62.50
14.16
6.90
11.44
50.00
15.60
8.40
12.00
* Amount borrowed expressed in terms of thousands of
dollars
13-16