Walter Maxim, the CEO of Digital Storage Devices Has Been

question 9

Essay

Walter Maxim, the CEO of Digital Storage Devices has been granted options on 300,000 shares. The equity is currently trading at £27 a share and the options are at the money.The volatility of the equity has been about .15 on an annual basis over the last several years.The option mature in 5 years, become exercisable in 3 years, and the risk free rate is 4%. If Mr.Maxim earned £500,000 in regular annual salary why might he prefer to have £1,500,000 in straight salary versus salary and options?

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Definitions:

Straight-Line Depreciation

A method of calculating the depreciation of an asset, where the asset's cost is reduced equally over its useful life.

Payback Period

The length of time it takes for an investment to generate enough cash flow to recover its original cost, a measure of investment risk.

Investment Project

A project that allocates capital with the aim of generating returns over time, often involving infrastructure, real estate, or other assets.

Straight-Line Depreciation

A method of allocating the cost of a tangible asset over its useful life in equal annual increments.