Summer Special Limited Time 65% Discount Offer - Ends in 0d 00h 00m 00s - Coupon code: exc65

Company P is a pharmaceutical company listed on an alternative investment market.  

The company is developing a new drug which it hopes to market in approximately six years' time.

Company P is owned and managed by a group of doctors who wish to retain control of the company.  The company operates from leased laboratories with minimal fixed assets. 

Its value comes from the quality of its research staff and their research.

The company currently has one approved drug which generates sufficient cashflow to cover day to day operations but not sufficient for major new research and development.

Company P wish to raise debt finance to develop the new drug. 

 

Recommend which of the following types of debt finance would be most appropriate for Company P to help finance the development of this new drug. 

A.

6% Eurobond repayable at par in 5 years' time.

B.

5% Bond repayable at par in 7 years' time.

C.

3% Commercial Paper.

D.

4% Convertible bond with a conversion ratio of 350 ordinary shares per bond.

A consultancy company is dependent for profits and growth on the high value individuals it employs.

The company has relatively few tangible assets.

 

Select the most appropriate reason for the net asset valuation method being considered unsuitable for such a company.

A.

It does not account for the intangible assets.

B.

It accounts for the intangible assets at historical value.

C.

It accounts for intangible assets at net realisable value.

D.

It does not account for tangible assets.

M is an accountant who wishes to take out a forward rate agreement as a hedging instrument but the company treasurer has advised that a short-term interest rate future would be a better option.

Which of the following is true of a short-term interest ratefuture?

A.

It can be tailoredtothe exact reeds of the company.

B.

It interest rates have gone down the price of the future will have fallen.

C.

It must be kept for ne whole duration of the contract

D.

The date is flexible and the position can be closed quickly and easily.

A company has in a 5% corporate bond in issue on which there are two loan covenants.

   • Interest cover must not fall below 3 times

   • Retained earnings for the year must not fall below $3.5 million

The Company has 200 million shares in issue.

The most recent dividend per share was $0.04.

The Company intends increasing dividends by 10% next year.

 

Financial projections for next year are as follows:

 

Advise the Board of Directors which of the following will be the status of compliance with the loan covenants next year?

A.

The company will be in compliance with both covenants.

B.

The company will be in breach of both covenants.

C.

The company will breach the covenant in respect of retained earnings only.

D.

The company will be in breach of the covenant in respect of interest cover only.

Company P is a pharmaceutical company listed on an alternative investment market.  

The company is developing a new drug which it hopes to market in approximately six years' time.

Company P is owned and managed by a group of doctors who wish to retain control of the company.  The company operates from leased laboratories with minimal fixed assets. 

Its value comes from the quality of its research staff and their research.

The company currently has one approved drug which generates sufficient cashflow to cover day to day operations but not sufficient for major new research and development.

Company P wish to raise debt finance to develop the new drug. 

 

Recommend which of the following types of debt finance would be most appropriate for Company P to help finance the development of this new drug. 

A.

6% Eurobond repayable at par in 5 years' time.

B.

5% Bond repayable at par in 7 years' time.

C.

3% Commercial Paper.

D.

4% Convertible bond with a conversion ratio of 350 ordinary shares per bond.

A listed company has recently announced a profit warning.

 

The company's share price fell 20% on the day of the announcement but had been fairly static in the weeks leading up to the announcement.

 

Which form of efficient market is most likely to be indicated by this share price movement?

A.

Weak form

B.

Semi-strong form

C.

Strong form

D.

Random walk

Assume today is 31 December 20X1.

 A listed mobile phone company has just launched a new phone which is proving to be a great success.

As a direct result of the product's success, earnings are forecast to increase by:

   • 5% a year in each of years 20X2 – 20X6

   • 3% from 20X7 onwards 

 

Market analysts were very excited to hear the news of the success of the product and future growth forecasts.

 

Assuming a semi-efficient market applies, which of the following company valuation methods is likely to give the best estimate of the company's equity value today?

A.

Today's share price x number of shares in issue + retained earnings.

B.

Today's share price x number of shares in issue.

C.

Discounted free cash flow using the company's forecast growth rates.

D.

P/E valuation based on the company's long term P/E and earnings for the year ended 31 December 20X1.

Company M is a listed company in a highly technical service industry.

The directors are considering making a cash offer for the shares in Company Q, an unquoted company in the same industry.

 

Relevant data about Company Q:

   • The company has seen consistent growth in earnings each year since it was founded 10 years ago.

   • It has relatively few non-current assets.

   • Many of the employees are leading experts in their field. A recent exercise suggested that the value of the company's human capital exceeded the value of its tangible assets.

The directors and major shareholders of Company Q have indicated willingness to sell the company.

Before negotiations become too advanced, the directors of Company M are considering the benefits to their company that would follow the acquisition.

 

Which THREE of the following are the most likely benefits of the acquisition to Company M's shareholders?

A.

Access to technical expertise.

B.

Reduction of risk through diversification.

C.

Improved asset backing for borrowing due to the acquisition of intangible assets.

D.

Gain economies of scale.

E.

Improve earnings per share (EPS).

A company's Board of Directors is assessing the likely impact of financing new projects by using either debt or equity finance.

The impact of using debt or equity finance on some key variables is uncertain.

 

Which THREE of the following statements are true?

A.

The use of equity finance reduces the company's overall financial risk.

B.

The use of equity finance will create pressure for increases in dividend per share in the future.

C.

The use of debt finance will always result in an increase in earnings per share.

D.

Retained earnings is the cheapest form of equity finance.

E.

The use of debt finance increases the cost of equity.

F.

The use of debt finance is always preferable to equity finance.

Company A is a listed company that produces pottery goods which it sells throughout Europe. The pottery is then delivered to a network of self employed artists who are contracted to paint the pottery in their own homes. Finished goods are distributed by network of sales agents.The directors of Company A are now considering acquiring one or more smaller companies by means of vertical integration to improve profit margins.

Advise the Board of Company A which of the following acquisitions is most likely to achieve the stated aim of vertical integration?

A.

A company in a similar market to Company A.

B.

A pottery factory in the Middle East.

C.

A company that produces accessories.

D.

A listed international logistics firm.