Dividend
Dividend
Dividend
Introduction
The term dividend refers to that profits of a company which is distributed by
company among its shareholders. It is the reward of the shareholders for
investments made by them in the shares of the company. A company may have
preference share capital as well as equity share capital and dividends may be
paid on both types of capital. The investors are interested in earning the
maximum return on their investments and to maximize their wealth on the other
hand, a company needs to provide funds to finance its long-term growth. If a
company pays out as dividend most of what it earns, then for Business
requirements and further expansion it will have to depend upon outside
resources such as issue of debt or a new shares. Dividend policy of a firm, thus
affects both long-term financing and wealth of shareholders.
Concept and Significance
The dividend decision is one of the three basic decisions which a financial
manager may be required to take, the other two being the investment decisions
and the financing decisions. In each period any earning that remains after
satisfying obligations to the creditors, the government and the preference
shareholders can either be retained or paid out as dividends or bifurcated
between retained earnings and dividends. The retained earnings can then be
invested in assets which will help the firm to increase or at least maintain its
present rate of growth. In dividend decision, a financial manager is concerned to
decide one or more of the following: - Should the profits be ploughed back to
finance the investment decisions? - Whether any dividend be paid?
If yes, how much dividend be paid? –
When these dividend be paid? Interim or final. –
In what form the dividend be paid? Cash dividend or Bonus shares.
All these decisions are inter-related and have bearing on the future growth plans
of firm. If a firm pays dividend it affects the cash flow position of the firm but
earns the goodwill among investors who therefore may be willing to provide
additional funds for financing of investment plans of firm. On the other hand,
the profits which are not distributed as dividends become an easily available
source of funds at no explicit costs. However, in case of ploughing back of
profits ,the firm may lose the goodwill and confidence of the investors and may
also defy the standards set by other firms. Therefore, in taking dividend
decision, the financial manager has to consider and analyse various factors.
Every aspects of dividend decision is to be critically evaluated. The most
important of these considerations is to decide as to what portion of profit should
be distributed which is also known as dividend payout ratio.
Determinants of Dividend Policy
The payment of dividend involves some legal as well as financial
considerations. It is difficult to determine a general dividend policy which can
be followed by different firms at different times because dividend decision has
to be taken considering the special circumstances of an individual case. The
following are important factors which determine dividend policy of a firm:
1. Legal Restrictions: Legal Provisions relating to dividends as laid
down in section, 205, 205A, 206 and 207 of companies Act, 1956 are significant
because they lay down a framework within which dividend policy is formulated.
These provisions require that dividend can be paid only out of current profit or
past profits after providing for depreciation. The companies (Transfer of Profits
to Reserves) Rules, 1975 require a company providing more than 10% dividend
to transfer certain percentage of current year’s profit to Reserves.
When Dividend Proposed Amount to be transferred to Reserves
most not be less than
Exceeds 10% but not 12.5% of 2.5% of current year profit
paid up capital
Exceeds 12.5% but not 15% of 5% of current year profit
paid up capital
Exceeds 15% but not 20% of 7.5% of current year profits
paid up capital
Exceeds 20% of paid up capital 10% of current year profits.
Forms of Dividend
Dividends can be classified in various forms. Dividend paid in ordinary
course of business are known as Profit Dividends, while dividends paid out of
capital are known as Liquidation dividends. Dividend may also be classified on
the basis of medium in which they are paid:
(a) Cash Dividend: A cash dividend is a usual method of paying dividends.
Payment of dividend in cash results in outflow of funds and reduces the
company’s net worth, though the shareholder get an opportunity to invest the
cash in any manner they desire. This is why ordinary shareholders prefer to
receive dividends in cash. But the firm must have adequate liquid resources
at its disposal or provide for such resources so that its liquidity position is
not adversely affected on account of cash dividends.
(b) Scrip or Bond Dividend: A scrip dividend promises to pay shareholders
at future specific date. In case a company does not have sufficient funds to
pay dividends in cash, it may issue notes or bonds for amounts due to
shareholders. The objective of scrip dividend is to postpone the immediate
payment of cash. A scrip dividend bears interest and is accepted as a
collateral security.
(c) Property Dividend: Property dividends are paid in the form of some
assets other than cash. They are distributed under exceptional circumstances
and are not popular in India.
(d) Stock Dividend: Stock Dividend means the issue of bonus shares to the
existing shareholders. If a company does not have liquid resources it is better
to declare stock dividend. Stock dividend amounts to capitalisation of
earnings and distribution of profits among existing shareholders without
affecting the cash position of the firm
Dividend Decision and Valuation of Firms
The value of the firm can be maximized if the shareholders wealth is
maximized. There are conflicting views regarding the impact of dividend
decision on valuation of the firm. According to one school of thought, dividend
decision does not affect shareholders wealth and hence the valuation of firm. On
other hand, according to other school of thought dividend decision materially
affects the shareholders wealth and also valuation of the firm. We have
discussed below the views of two schools of thought under two groups:
1. The Relevance Concept of Dividend a Theory of Relevance.
2. The Irrelevance Concept of Dividend or Theory of Irrelevance.
The Relevance Concept of Dividend
The advocates of this school of thought include Myron Gordon, James Walter
and Richardson. According to them dividends communicate information to the
investors about the firm’s profitability and hence dividend decision becomes
relevant. Those firms which pay higher dividends will have greater value as
compared to those which do not pay dividends or have a lower dividend pay out
ratio. It holds that dividend decisions affect value of the firm. We have
examined below two theories representing this notion:
(i) Walter’s Approach and (ii) Gordon’s Approach.
(i) Walter’s Approach:
Prof. Walter’s model is based on the relationship between the firms (a) return
on investment i.e. r and (b) the cost of capital or required rate of return i.e. k.
According to Prof. Walter, If r>k i.e. if the firm earns a higher rate of return on
its investment than the required rate of return, the firm should retain the
earnings. Such firms are termed as growth firm’s and the optimum pay-out
would be zero which would maximize value of shares. In case of declining
firms which do not have profitable investments i.e. where r<k the shareholder
would stand to gain if the firm distributes it earnings. For such firms, the
optimum payout would be 100% and the firms should distribute the entire
earnings as dividend.
In case of normal firms where r=k the dividend policy will not affect the market
value of shares as the shareholders will get the same return from the firm as
expected by them. For such firms, there is no optimum dividend payout and
value of firm would not change with the change in dividend rate.
Assumptions of Walter’s model (i) The firm has a very long life. (ii) Earnings
and dividends do not change while determining the value. (iii) The Internal rate
of return ( r ) and the cost of capital (k) of the firm are constant. (iv) The
investments of the firm are financed through retained earnings only and the firm
does not use external sources of funds.
Walter’s formula for determining the value of share
P = D + r (E-D)/k e
K e k e
Where P = Market price per share D = Dividend per share r = internal rate of
return E = earnings per share ke = Cost of equity capital
Criticism of Walter’s Model
Walter’s model has been crticised on account of various assumptions made by
Prof Walter in formulating his hypothesis. (i) The basic assumption that
investments are financed through retained earnings only is seldom true in real
world. Firms do raise fund by external financing. (ii) The internal rate of return
i.e. r also does not remain constant. As a matter of fact, with increased
investment the rate of return also changes. (iii) The assumption that cost of
capital (k) will remain constant also does not hold good. As a firm’s risk pattern
does not remain constant, it is not proper to assume that (k) will always remain
constant.
According to gordon, the market value of a share is equal to the present vaue of
future stream of dividends
Thus,
p= D 1 D + 2 + ………..
(1+k) (1+k) 2
Symbolically: -
p= E (1-b)
k –br
e
or
p = D
0 1
k –g e
D = D (1+g)
1 0
Gordon argues that the investors do have a preference for current dividends and
there is a direct relationship between the dividend policy and the market value
of share. He has built the model on basic premise that investors are basically
risk averse and they evaluate the future dividend/capital gains as a risky and
uncertain proposition. Investors are certain of receiving incomes from dividend
than from future capital gains.
The incremental risk associated with capital gains implies a higher required rate
of return for discounting the capital gains than for discounting the current
dividends. In other words, an investor values current dividends more highly than
an expected future capital gain. Hence, the “bird-in-hand” argument of this
model suggests that dividend policy is relevant, as investors prefer current
dividends as against the future uncertain capital gains. When investors are
certain about their returns they discount the firm’s earnings at lower rate and
therefore placing a higher value for share and that of firm. So, the investors
require a higher rate of return as retention rate increases and this would
adversely affect share price.
The Argument of MM
The argument given by MM in support of their hypothesis is that whatever
increase in value of the firm results from payment of dividend, will be
exactly off set by achieve in market price of shares because of external
financing and there will be no change in total wealth of the shareholders. For
example, if a company, having investment opportunities distributes all its
earnings among the shareholders, it will have to raise additional funds from
external sources. This will result in increase in number of shares or payment
of interest charges, resulting in fall in earnings per share in future. Thus
whatever a shareholder gains on account of dividend payment is neutralized
completely by the fall in the market price of shares due to decline in
expected future earnings per share. To be more specific, the market price of
share in beginning of period is equal to present value of dividends paid at
end of period plus the market price of shares at end of period plus the market
price of shares at end of the period.
● P = D +P
0 1 1
1+K e
m = I (E –nD ) 1
P 1
Value of the firm
nP = (n+m)P - ( I – E)
o 1
1+K e
Irrelevance of Dividend
According to professors Soloman, Modigliani and Miller, dividend policy has no effect on the share price of
the company. There is no relation between the dividend rate and value of the firm. Dividend decision is
irrelevant of the value of the firm. Modigliani and Miller contributed a major approach to prove the irrelevance
dividend concept.
According to MM, under a perfect market condition, the dividend policy of the company is irrelevant and it does
not affect the value of the firm.
“Under conditions of perfect market, rational investors, absence of tax discrimination between dividend
income and capital appreciation, given the firm’s investment policy, its dividend policy may have no influence
on the market price of shares”.
Assumptions
1. No risk or uncertainty.
P = D +P
0 1 1
1+K e
Where,
equity capital.
P - ( I – E)
1
K e
Where,
Criticism of MM approach
MM approach consists of certain criticisms also. The following are the major criticisms of MM approach.
MM approach assumes that tax does not exist. It is not applicable in the practical life of the firm.
MM approach assumes that, there is no risk and uncertain of the investment. It is also not applicable in
present day business life.
MM approach does not consider floatation cost and transaction cost. It leads to affect the value of the firm.
MM approach considers only single decrement rate, it does not exist in real practice. MM approach assumes
that, investor behaves rationally. But we cannot give assurance that all the investors will behave rationally.
RELEVANCE OF DIVIDEND
Walter’s Model
Prof. James E. Walter argues that the dividend policy almost always affects the value of the firm.
Walter model is based n the relationship between the following important factors:
● Rate of return I
According to the Walter’s model, if r > k, the firm is able to earn more than what the shareholders could by
reinvesting, if the earnings are paid to them. The implication of r > k is that the shareholders can earn a higher
return by investing elsewhere.
If the firm has r = k, it is a matter of indifferent whether earnings are retained or distributed.
Assumptions
Walter has evolved a mathematical formula for determining the value of market
share.
Walter model assumes that there is no extracted finance used by the firm. It is not practically applicable.
There is no possibility of constant return. Return may increase or decrease, depending upon the business
situation. Hence, it is applicable.
According to Walter model, it is based on constant cost of capital. But it is not applicable in the real life
of the business.
Gordon’s Model
Myron Gorden suggest one of the popular model which assume that dividend policy of a firm affects its value,
and it is based on the following important assumptions:
Gordon model assumes that there is no debt and equity finance used by the firm. It is not applicable to
present day business.
K and r cannot be constant in the real practice.
e
According to Gordon’s model, there are no tax paid by the firm. It is not practically applicable.
Walter Model
Gordon’s Model
The following information is available in respect of the rate of return on investment (r), the cost of
capital (k), and earnings per share (E) of ABC Ltd.
Rate of return on investment (r) – (i) 15% ; (ii) 12% ; (iii) 10%
Determine the value of its share using Gordon’s Model assuming the following