Question:
A common problem facing any business entity is the debt versus equity decision. When funds are
required to obtain assets, should debt or equity financing be used? This decision also is faced when a
company is initially formed. What will be the mix of debt versus equity in the initial capital structure?
The characteristics of debt are very different from those of equity as are the financial implications of
using one method of financing as opposed to the other.
Cherokee Plastics Corporation is formed by a group of investors to manufacture household plastic
products.
Their initial capitalization goal is $50,000,000. That is, the incorporators have decided to raise
$50,000,000 to acquire the initial assets of the company. They have narrowed down the financing mix
alternatives to two:
1. All equity financing.
2. $20,000,000 in debt financing and $30,000,000 in equity financing.
No matter which financing alternative is chosen, the corporation expects to be able to generate a 10%
annual return, before payment of interest and income taxes, on the $50,000,000 in assets acquired. The
interest rate on debt would be 8%. The effective income tax rate will be approximately 50%.
Alternative 2 will require specified interest and principal payments to be made to the creditors at specific
dates.
The interest portion of these payments (interest expense) will reduce the taxable income of the
corporation and hence the amount of income tax the corporation will pay. The all-equity alternative
requires no specified payments to be made to suppliers of capital. The corporation is not legally liable to
make distributions to its owners. If the board of directors does decide to make a distribution, it is not an
expense of the corporation and does not reduce taxable income and hence the taxes the corporation pays.
Required:
1. Prepare abbreviated income statements that compare first-year profitability for each of the two
alternatives.
A common problem facing any business entity is the debt versus equity decision. When funds are
required to obtain assets, should debt or equity financing be used? This decision also is faced when a
company is initially formed. What will be the mix of debt versus equity in the initial capital structure?
The characteristics of debt are very different from those of equity as are the financial implications of
using one method of financing as opposed to the other.
Cherokee Plastics Corporation is formed by a group of investors to manufacture household plastic
products.
Their initial capitalization goal is $50,000,000. That is, the incorporators have decided to raise
$50,000,000 to acquire the initial assets of the company. They have narrowed down the financing mix
alternatives to two:
1. All equity financing.
2. $20,000,000 in debt financing and $30,000,000 in equity financing.
No matter which financing alternative is chosen, the corporation expects to be able to generate a 10%
annual return, before payment of interest and income taxes, on the $50,000,000 in assets acquired. The
interest rate on debt would be 8%. The effective income tax rate will be approximately 50%.
Alternative 2 will require specified interest and principal payments to be made to the creditors at specific
dates.
The interest portion of these payments (interest expense) will reduce the taxable income of the
corporation and hence the amount of income tax the corporation will pay. The all-equity alternative
requires no specified payments to be made to suppliers of capital. The corporation is not legally liable to
make distributions to its owners. If the board of directors does decide to make a distribution, it is not an
expense of the corporation and does not reduce taxable income and hence the taxes the corporation pays.
Required:
1. Prepare abbreviated income statements that compare first-year profitability for each of the two
alternatives.
