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XYZ Textiles Ltd., a mid-sized manufacturer of apparel, is facing several financial management challenges. The company needs to optimize its working capital management due to increasing inventory levels and longer accounts receivable cycles. The current ratio is 1.4, but the quick ratio is low at 0.7, indicating potential liquidity issues.

XYZ Textiles is considering expanding its operations by purchasing new machinery, costing 10million.Theprojectisexpectedtogeneratecashflowsof10 million. The project is expected to generate cash flows of 2 million annually for 7 years. The management is evaluating the project using capital budgeting techniques such as NPV and IRR. The company's cost of capital (WACC) is 9%, and the calculated NPV is positive, while the IRR is 12%, suggesting the project is viable.

The company's capital structure consists of 60% equity and 40% debt. With interest rates rising, the management is weighing whether to increase debt financing to fund the expansion or issue additional equity, which could dilute shareholder control. They are also concerned about maintaining an optimal mix to minimize the weighted average cost of capital (WACC).

Finally, the company's dividend policy has been a consistent payout of 30% of net income. With expansion plans underway, the management debates whether to cut dividends to retain more earnings for reinvestment or maintain the payout to appease shareholders.

ABC Ltd. has debt equity ratio of 3:1, whereas XYZ Ltd. has debt equity ratio of 1:1. Name the advantage ABC Ltd will have over XYZ Ltd., when the rate of interest is lower than the rate of return on investment of the company.

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 1

Option 1 -> Trading on Equity means using borrowed funds (debt) to increase returns to equity shareholders when ROI exceeds interest cost. ABC Ltd. with higher debt (3:1) can magnify shareholder returns more than XYZ Ltd.

Option 2 -> Low Risk is incorrect because higher debt actually increases financial risk due to fixed interest obligations and potential insolvency risk, not reduces it.

Option 3 -> Trading on Debt is not a recognized financial concept. The correct terminology for using debt to enhance equity returns is "Trading on Equity."

Option 4 -> Greater flexibility is incorrect because higher debt reduces financial flexibility due to fixed payment obligations, restrictive covenants, and limited capacity for additional borrowing.


Hence, Option 1: Trading on Equity -> When interest rates are lower than return on investment, ABC Ltd. can leverage its higher debt (3:1 ratio) to generate surplus returns that accrue to equity shareholders. The company earns more on borrowed funds than it pays in interest, and this difference magnifies equity returns - a phenomenon called Trading on Equity or Financial Leverage. With 3 times more debt than XYZ Ltd., ABC Ltd. can exploit this advantage more effectively. -> correct

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