FINANCIAL LEVERAGE AND CAPITAL STRUCTURE
LEVERAGE ‘Leverage’ means ‘effectiveness’ or ‘power’.
A firm is said to be leveraged if it has fixed costs.
There are three types of leverage:
- Operating leverage – fixed costs associated with running the firm.
- Financial leverage – fixed costs associated with financing the firm.
- Combined leverage – combination of operating and financial leverage.
Degree of leverage
- Measure of how much leverage the firm uses.
FINANCIAL LEVERAGE
Financial leverage is the use of fixed financial costs to measure the effects of changes in sales to the firm’s net earnings.
Sources of financial leverage are primarily debt and preferred stock.
MEASURING FIN. LEVERAGE Degree of Financial Leverage:
Stylized form:
Note: As DFL increases, volatility in net earnings increases.
EBITin Change %
EarningsNet in Change %DFL
TPDIEBIT
EBITDFL
1
EBIT) base(at
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
The mix of long-term financial sources used to finance the firm.
It usually refers to the specific proportions of debt, equity, preferred stock, etc. used to finance the firm.
Only long-term sources are included.
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