A. The cost of capital may change when there are incremental capital requirements obtained from different sources, resulting in changes in capital structure. What qualitative considerations are important for a company seeking to raise capital? Answer this by considering the effect of leverage in your response. Specifically, what expected effects will additional leverage have on a company’s decision to accept investment projects? As the cost of capital increases or decreases, are managers more or less likely to accept capital projects? What is the effect on shareholder wealth when managers accept projects based upon fluctuations in cost of capital? Should shareholders be concerned about the ethics of managers’ selection processes?
B. Agency conflicts arise when there are differences in the goals of the firm versus the personal goals of managers. What qualitative considerations are important for the mitigation of agency conflicts in relation to the acceptance and completion of capital projects? Indicate the types of monitoring costs and why these are critical. What monitoring activities are required to ensure that project acceptance and outcomes benefit shareholders? What approaches might be necessary to ensure managers make ethical project investment decisions?