Consider a start-up firm that has three different potential business models whose after-tax payoffs are summarized below along with their respective probabilities:
Strategy | Probability | Payoff
A 100% $75
B 50% $140
50% $0
C 10% $300
90% $40
(a) With $0 in debt, which strategy has the highest expected value for equity holders?
(b) With $40 in debt, which strategy has the highest expected value for equity holders?
(c) With $110 in debt, which strategy has the highest expected value for equity holders?
(d) If management maximizes the value of equity, does higher debt lead them to invest in more risky or less risky projects?