True or False: The efficient markets hypothesis holds only if all investors are rational. False True Almost all financial theory and decision models assume that the financial markets are efficient. The informational efficiency of financial markets determines the ability of investors to “beat” the market and earn excess (or abnormal) returns on their investments. If the markets are efficient, they will react rapidly as new relevant information becomes available. Financial theorists have identified three levels of informational efficiency that reflect what information is incorporated in stock prices. Identify the form of capital market efficiency under the efficient market hypothesis described in the following statement: Current market prices reflect all information contained in past price movements. This statement is consistent with: Strong form efficiency Semistrong form efficiency Weak form efficiency Consider that there is a strong form of efficiency in the markets. A pharmaceutical company announces that it has received Federal Drug Administration approval for a new allergy drug that completely prevents hay fever. The consensus analyst forecast for the company’s earnings per share (EPS) is $5.00, and insiders agree with analyst expectations. They too expect that, with this new drug, earnings will drive the EPS to $5.00. What will happen when the company releases its next earnings report? The stock price will not change, because the market already incorporated that information in the stock price when the announcement about FDA approval was made. The stock price will increase and settle at a new equilibrium level. There will be some volatility in the stock price when the earnings report is released; it is difficult to determine the impact on the stock price.
Cost of Capital
Shareholders and investors who invest into the capital of the firm desire to have a suitable return on their investment funding. The cost of capital reflects what shareholders expect. It is a discount rate for converting expected cash flow into present cash flow.
Capital Structure
Capital structure is the combination of debt and equity employed by an organization in order to take care of its operations. It is an important concept in corporate finance and is expressed in the form of a debt-equity ratio.
Weighted Average Cost of Capital
The Weighted Average Cost of Capital is a tool used for calculating the cost of capital for a firm wherein proportional weightage is assigned to each category of capital. It can also be defined as the average amount that a firm needs to pay its stakeholders and for its security to finance the assets. The most commonly used sources of capital include common stocks, bonds, long-term debts, etc. The increase in weighted average cost of capital is an indicator of a decrease in the valuation of a firm and an increase in its risk.
The efficient markets hypothesis
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