IGNOU FREE SOLVED ASSIGNMENT: MCO - 07 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT (2019 - 2020)

b)      Financing decision

2)      Decision regarding capital structure: Once the requirement of funds is estimated, a decision regarding various sources from where the funds would be raised is to be taken. A proper mix of the various sources is to be worked out, each source of funds involves different issues for consideration. The finance manager has to carefully look into the existing capital structure and see how the various proposals of raising funds will affect it. He is to maintain a proper balance between long and short term funds. 

3)      Investment decision: Funds procured from different sources have to be invested in various kinds of assets. Long term funds are used in a project for fixed and also current assets. The investment of funds in a project is to be made after careful assessment of various projects through capital budgeting. A part of long term funds is also to be kept for financing working capital requirements. Asset management policies are to be laid down regarding various items of current assets, inventory policy is to be determined by the production and finance manager, while keeping in mind the requirement of production and future price estimates of raw materials and availability of funds.

4)      Dividend decision: The finance manager is concerned with the decision to pay or declare dividend. He is to assist the top management in deciding as to what amount of dividend should be paid to the shareholders and what amount is retained by the company, it involves a large number of considerations. The principal function of a finance manager relates to decisions regarding procurement, investment and dividends. 

5)      Maintain Proper Liquidity: Every concern is required to maintain some liquidity for meeting day-to-day needs. Cash is the best source for maintaining liquidity. It is required to purchase raw materials, pay workers, meet other expenses, etc. A finance manager is required to determine the need for liquid assets and then arrange liquid assets in such a way that there is no scarcity of funds.

6)      Management of Cash, Receivables and Inventory: Finance manager is required to determine the quantum and manage the various components of working capital such as cash, receivables and inventories. On the one hand, he has to ensure sufficient availability of such assets as and when required, and on the other there should be no surplus or idle investment.

7)      Disposal of Surplus: A finance manager is also expected to make proper utilization of surplus funds. He has to make a decision as to how much earnings are to be retained for future expansion and growth and how much to be distributed among the shareholders.

8)      Evaluating financial performance: Management control systems are usually based on financial analysis, e.g. ROI (return on investment) system of divisional control. A finance manager has to constantly review the financial performance of various units of the organisation. Analysis of the financial performance helps the management for assessing how the funds are utilised in various divisions and what can be done to improve it.

9)      Financial negotiations: Finance manager's major time is utilised in carrying out negotiations with financial institutions, banks and public depositors. He has to furnish a lot of information to these institutions and persons in order to ensure that raising of funds is within the statutes. Negotiations for outside financing often require specialised skills.

b)      High degree of risk: Decision is based on estimated return. Changes in taste, fashion, research and technological advancement leads to greater risk in such decisions.

c)       Huge funds: Large funds are required and sparing huge funds is problem and hence decision to be taken after proper care .

d)      Irreversible decision: Reverting back from a decision is very difficult as sale of high value asset would be a problem.

e)      Most difficult decision: Decision is based on future estimates/uncertainty. Future events are affected by economic, political and technological changes taking place.

f)       Impact on firm’s future competitive strengths: These decisions determine future profit or cost and hence affect the competitive strengths of firm.

b)      All information is freely available to all the investors.

c)       There is no transaction cost.

d)      Securities are divisible and can be split into any fraction. No investor can affect the market price.

e)      There are no taxes and no flotation cost.

b)      Magnitude and Trend in EPS: EPS is the basis for dividend. The size of the EPS and the trend in EPS in recent years set how much can be paid as dividend a high and steadily increasing EPS enables a high and steadily increasing DPS. When EPS fluctuates a different dividend policy has to be adopted.

c)       Taxability: According to Section 123 of the Companies Act, 2013 'no dividend shall be payable except in cash'. However, the Income-Tax Act defines the term dividend so as to include any distribution of property or rights having monetary value. Therefore liberal dividend policy becomes unattractive from the point of view of the shareholders/investors in high income brackets. Thus a company which considers the taxability of its shareholders, may not declare liberal dividend though there may be huge profit, but may alternatively go for issuing bonus shares later.

d)      Liquidity and Working Capital Position: Apparently, distribution of dividend results in outflow of cash and as such a reduction in working capital position. Even in a year when a company has earned adequate profit to warrant a dividend declaration, it may confront with a week liquidity position. Under the circumstance, while one company may prefer not to pay dividend since the payment may impair liquidity, another company following a stable dividend policy, may wish to declare dividends even by resorting to borrowings for dividend payment in cash.

e)      Impact on share price: The impact of dividends on market price of shares, though cannot be precisely measured, still one could consider the influence of dividend on the market price of shares. The dividend policy pursued by a company naturally depends on how far the management is concerned about the market price of shares. Generally, an increase in dividend payout results in a hike in the market price of shares. This is significant as it has a bearing on new issues.

f)       Control consideration: Where the directors wish to retain control, they may desire to finance growth programmes by retained earnings, since issue of fresh equity shares for financing growth plan may lead to dilution of control of the dominating group. So, low dividend payout is favoured by Board.

g)      Type of Shareholders: When the shareholders of the company prefer current dividend rather man capital gain a high payment is desirable. This happens so, when the shareholders are in low tax brackets, they are less moneyed and require periodical income or they have better investment avenues than the company. Retired persons, economically weaker sections and similarly placed investors prefer current income i.e. dividend. If, on the other hand, majority of the shareholders are moneyed people, and want capital gain, then low payout ratio is desirable. This is known as clientele effect on dividend decision.

h)      Industry Norms: The industry norms have to be adhered to the extent possible. It most firms in me industry adopt a high payout policy, perhaps others also have to adopt such a policy.

i)        Age of the company: Newly formed companies adopt a conservative dividend policy so that they can get stabilized and think of growth and expansion.

j)        Investment opportunities for the company: If the company has better investment opportunities, and it is difficult to raise fresh capital quickly and at cheap costs, it is better to adopt a conservative dividend policy. By better investment opportunities we mean those with higher 'r' relative to the 'k'. So, if r>k, low payout is good. And vice versa.

k)      Restrictive covenants imposed by debt financiers: Debt financiers, especially term lending financial institutions, may impose restrictive conditions on the rate, timing and form of dividends declared. So, that consideration is also significant.

l)        Floatation cost, cost of fresh equity and access capital market: When floatation costs and cost of fresh equity are high and capital market conditions are not congenial for a fresh issue, a low payout ratio is adopted.