Discussion

"Capital Structure and Tax Shields"

A. Go to Yahoo! Finance’s Website, located at http://finance.yahoo.com/, and navigate to the page of the publicly traded stock you chose in Week 1. Then, click on the “SEC Filings” link on the left-hand side of the page under “COMPANY”. Review the debt structure of the company you have chosen by reading the company’s latest quarterly report and determining whether it has any convertible bonds or long-term debt. Recommend two (2) actions that the selected company can take in order to optimize its capital structure. Provide a rationale for your recommendation.

B. Recommend two (2) uses of a tax shield that can improve return on the equity of a firm. Determine what the optimal degree of leverage would be as far as the firm’s capital structure is concerned. Suggest two (2) strategies you would use to optimize shareholder value by altering the firm’s capital structure.