Hawar International is a shipping firm with a current share price of $5.50 and 10 million shares outstanding. Suppose Hawar announces plans to lower its corporate taxes by borrowing $20 million and repurchasing shares.

a) With perfect capital markets, what will the share price be after this announcement?

Suppose that Hawar pays a corporate tax rate of 30%, and that shareholders expect the change in debt to be permanent.

b) If the only imperfection is corporate tax rate of 30%, what will the share price be after this announcement?

c) Suppose the only imperfections are corporate taxes and financial distress costs. If the share price rises to $5.75 after this announcement, what is the PV of financial distress costs Hawar will incur as the result of this new debt?

Answer: a. $5.50

b. $6.1

c. $3,500,000

Explanation:

a. From the question, we are informed that Hawar International is a shipping firm with a current share price of $5.50 and 10 million shares outstanding and that Hawar announces plans to lower its corporate taxes by borrowing $20 million and repurchasing shares.

We are informed that Hawar announces plans to lower its corporate taxes by borrowing $20 million and repurchasing shares. This is a transaction and therefore, the value if the share won't be changed. So, the value for the share will still be $5.50.

b. If the only imperfection is corporate tax rate of 30%, the share price after this announcement will be:

= [30% * (20million/10million) ] + $5.50

= [0.3 * 2] + $5.50

= $0.6 + $5.50

= $6.1

Therefore, the share price be after this announcement will be $6.1.

c. If the share price rises to $5.75 after this announcement, the PV of financial distress costs Hawar will incur as the result of this new debt will be:

= ($6.1 - $5.75) * 10,000,000

= $0.35 * 10,000,000

= $3,500,000