Fpl Analysis

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Staff Analysis Statement of the Problem Kate Stark, the electric utilities analyst at First Equity Securities Corporation (FESC), on the May 5, 1994, received an alert from Merrill Lynch regarding FPL Group Inc. (FPL), one of the companies she follows. Merrill Lynch’s utilities analyst has decided to downgrade FPL’s stock due to its dividend payout being extremely high (in excess of 90% in 1993) for the unstable and more competitive business environment. Three weeks prior to this alert, Stark issued a report on FPL stating FPL should “hold” its dividend at $2.48 or increase it slightly. Coincidently, FPL’s stock fell 6% after this report was issued; however, Stark was not sure this fall in stock was due to the report she issued. Since Stark has received the alert from Merrill Lynch she is questioning her recommendation to hold; moreover, Stark must take the effect her recommendation will have on FPL’s stock prices into consideration before altering her recommendation to sell or buy or maintaining her current hold recommendation. FPL has four options for its dividend policy. FPL could keep its current dividend growth rate of 1.6%, slow down its dividend growth rate to 1% a year, freeze its current rate of $2.48 per share, or reduce its current growth rate. Discussion FPL is the largest utility company in Florida and the fourth largest utility company in the United States. FPL was formed in 1925 and grew steadily until 1970 when the increase in fuel costs and construction cost over-runs reduced its profitability. Concurrently, FPL incurred operation problems which resulted in many power outages that led to numerous consumer complaints. In order to increase profitability and growth, FPL’s Chairman, Marshall McDonald, decided to diversify the company through the acquisition of four companies: Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company (Colonial Penn), Telesat Cablevision,

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