Asquith and Mullins Studied a Sample of Firms That Either

question 34

Essay

Asquith and Mullins studied a sample of firms that either paid their first ever cash dividend or initiated a dividend after a 10 year period of no dividends. Healey, Palepu and Michaely, and Thaler and Womack found stock prices to fall when dividends are. Explain how these positive and negative stock price results fit with the dividend irrelevance argument of MM and the opposing effects of taxes and current income needs on stock price if future earnings are held constant.

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Definitions:

Central Banks

Institutions that manage the currency, money supply, and interest rates of a state or country.

Political Control

The influence or authority exerted by a government or political group over its citizens, economic system, or societal structures.

Inflation Rates

The percentage increase in the price level of goods and services over a period, reducing purchasing power.

Excess Reserves

Bank reserves that exceed the required minimum amount that financial institutions must hold in reserve against deposit liabilities.