Suppose Firms A and B have the same amount of assets, total assets are equal to total invested capital, pay the same interest rate on their debt, have the same basic earning power (BEP), finance with only debt and common equity, and have the same tax rate. However, Firm A has a higher debt to capital ratio. If BEP is greater than the interest rate on debt, Firm A will have a higher ROE as a result of its higher debt ratio.

Question

Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)

Answer 1

True

Rationale: The easiest way to think about this problem is to realize that if you can borrow at a cost of 10% and invest the proceeds to earn 11%, you'll earn a surplus. If you were previously earning an ROE of 10%, then after raising and investing additional funds at 11%, your income will be higher, your equity will be the same, and thus your ROE will increase. Similarly, if a firm earns more on assets than the interest rate, there will be a surplus after paying interest on the debt that will go to the equity, thus increasing the ROE. So, if BEP > rd, then the firm can increase its expected ROE by using more debt leverage. The answer can also be seen by working out an example. The one below shows that leverage increases ROE if BEP > rd, but it could be varied to show no difference in ROE if interest rates and BEP are the same, and a reduction in ROE if the interest rate exceeds the BEP.