If Investors' Aversion to Risk Rose, Causing the Slope of the SML

question 78

True/False

If investors' aversion to risk rose, causing the slope of the SML to increase, this would have a greater impact on the required rate of return on equity, r_s, than on the interest rate on long-term debt, r_d, for most firms.Other things held constant, this would lead to an increase in the use of debt and a decrease in the use of equity.However, other things would not stay constant if firms used a lot more debt, as that would increase the riskiness of both debt and equity and thus limit the shift toward debt.

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Definitions:

Rational-Ignorance Effect

A phenomenon where individuals decide not to acquire information because the cost of doing so outweighs the expected benefits.

Voters

Individuals who are eligible to vote in elections, making decisions about who will hold public office and on various issues.

Political Choices

Decisions made by individuals, groups, or governments that relate to the governance of a country, state, or local area.

Public Choice Analysis

A branch of economics that studies the decision-making behaviors of voters, politicians, and government officials from the perspective of economic theory.