Fpl Case Analysis

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Case: Dividend Policy at FPL Group Inc Group No 2 PGP/18/089 NEEHARIKA NIDADAVOLU PGP/18/090 NEHA PRASAD PGP/18/101 PURNIMA PRASAD PGP/18/102 RAJNISH KUMAR PGP/18/103 RAJSHRI SURENDRA MODI PGP/18/112 TIRMARE PRIYANKA PRABHAKAR Summary The case is regarding an electric utility company in Florida, FPL Inc.’s expected dividend policy in 1994 and its impact on share price. Kate Stark, the electric utilities analyst with First Securities Corporation has to decide on what investor recommendation should she put up: buy, hold or sell, based on recent announcements by other industry analysts and information available in the market. Questions 1. Why do firms pay dividends? What, in general, are the advantages and disadvantages of paying cash dividends? Firms pay dividends to reward their shareholders for investing in the company. Shareholders are the owners of the firm, and the dividends are their share of the firm’s profits. Dividends induce shareholders to continue investing in the company rather than invest elsewhere in the market. Payout to investors may take the form of cash dividends or stock repurchase. The advantage of paying dividends is that it signals the firm’s financial stability. The ability to pay dividends promotes the confidence of the market in the firm’s prospects. Dividends not only encourage current shareholders to retain their investment in the firm, but also increase the firm’s attractiveness to potential investors. The disadvantage of paying dividends is that the firm has less money to reinvest. Paying a cash dividend may reflect the firm’s current success, but it hinders the firm’s ability to expand. The firm might do better by postponing the payment of a dividend in order to reinvest earnings and take advantage of growth opportunities. A further disadvantage of paying cash dividends is that they are not tax deductible. 2. What
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