Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or
answers the question.
____13.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
One of the disadvantages of incorporating a business is that
the owners then become subject to liabilities in the event the firm
goes bankrupt.
b.
Sole proprietorships are subject to more regulations than
corporations.
c.
In any type of partnership, every partner has the same rights,
privileges, and liability exposure as every other partner.
d.
Sole proprietorships and partnerships generally have a tax
advantage over many corporations, especially large ones.
e.
Corporations of all types are subject to the corporate income
tax.
____14.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
One of the disadvantages of a sole proprietorship is that the
proprietor is exposed to unlimited liability.
b.
It is generally easier to transfer one's ownership interest in
a partnership than in a corporation.
c.
One of the advantages of the corporate form of organization is
that it avoids double taxation.
d.
One of the advantages of a corporation from a social
standpoint is that every stockholder has equal voting rights, i.e.,
"one person, one vote."
e.
Corporations of all types are subject to the corporate income
tax.
____15.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
It is generally more expensive to form a proprietorship than a
corporation because, with a proprietorship, extensive legal
documents are required.
b.
Corporations face fewer regulations than sole
proprietorships.
c.
One disadvantage of operating a business as a sole
proprietorship is that the firm is subject to double taxation, at
both the firm level and the owner level.
d.
One advantage of forming a corporation is that equity
investors are usually exposed to less liability than in a regular
partnership.
e.
If a regular partnership goes bankrupt, each partner is
exposed to liabilities only up to the amount of his or her
investment in the business.
____16.Cheers Inc. operates as a partnership. Now the
partners have decided to convert the business into a regular
corporation. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Assuming Cheers is profitable, less of its income will be
subject to federal income taxes.
b.
Cheers will now be subject to fewer regulations.
c.
Cheers' shareholders (the ex-partners) will now be exposed to
less liability.
d.
Cheers' investors will be exposed to less liability, but they
will find it more difficult to transfer their ownership.
e.
Cheers will find it more difficult to raise additional
capital.
____17.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
It is usually easier to transfer ownership in a corporation
than it is to transfer ownership in a sole proprietorship.
b.
Corporate shareholders are exposed to unlimited
liability.
c.
Corporations generally face fewer regulations than sole
proprietorships.
d.
Corporate shareholders are exposed to unlimited liability, and
this factor may be compounded by the tax disadvantages of
incorporation.
e.
There is a tax disadvantage to incorporation, and there is no
way any corporation can escape this disadvantage, even if it is
very small.
____18.Which of the following could explain why a business
might choose to operate as a corporation rather than as a sole
proprietorship or a partnership?
a.
Corporations generally find it relatively difficult to raise
large amounts of capital.
b.
Less of a corporation's income is generally subjected to taxes
than would be true if the firm were a partnership.
c.
Corporate shareholders escape liability for the firm's debts,
but this factor may be offset by the tax disadvantages of the
corporate form of organization.
d.
Corporate investors are exposed to unlimited liability.
e.
Corporations generally face relatively few regulations.
____19.You recently sold 100 shares of your new company, XYZ
Corporation, to your brother at a family reunion. At the reunion
your brother gave you a check for the stock and you gave your
brother the stock certificates. Which of the following statements
best describes this transaction?
a.
This is an example of an exchange of physical assets.
b.
This is an example of a primary market transaction.
c.
This is an example of a direct transfer of capital.
d.
This is an example of a money market transaction.
e.
This is an example of a derivatives market transaction.
____20.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
If expected inflation increases, interest rates are likely to
increase.
b.
If individuals in general increase the percentage of their
income that they save, interest rates are likely to increase.
c.
If companies have fewer good investment opportunities,
interest rates are likely to increase.
d.
Interest rates on all debt securities tend to rise during
recessions because recessions increase the possibility of
bankruptcy, hence the riskiness of all debt securities.
e.
Interest rates on long-term bonds are more volatile than rates
on short-term debt securities like T-bills.
____21.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Hedge funds are legal in Europe and Asia, but they are not
permitted to operate in the United States.
b.
Hedge funds have more in common with commercial banks than
with any other type of financial institution.
c.
Hedge funds have more in common with investment banks than
with any other type of financial institution.
d.
Hedge funds are legal in the United States, but they are not
permitted to operate in Europe or Asia.
e.
The justification for the "light" regulation of hedge funds is
that only "sophisticated" investors with high net worths and high
incomes are permitted to invest in these funds, and such investors
supposedly can do the necessary "due diligence" on their own rather
than have it done by the SEC or some other regulator.
____22.Money markets are markets for
a.
Foreign stocks.
b.
Consumer automobile loans.
c.
U.S. stocks.
d.
Short-term debt securities.
e.
Long-term bonds.
____23.Which of the following is a primary market
transaction?
a.
You sell 200 shares of IBM stock on the NYSE through your
broker.
b.
IBM issues 2,000,000 shares of new stock and sells them to the
public through an investment banker.
c.
You buy 200 shares of IBM stock from your brother. The trade
is not made through a broker--you just give him cash and he gives
you the stock.
d.
One financial institution buys 200,000 shares of IBM stock
from another institution. An investment banker arranges the
transaction.
e.
You invest $10,000 in a mutual fund, which then uses the money
to buy $10,000 of IBM shares on the NYSE.
____24.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
If Disney issues additional shares of common stock through an
investment banker, this would be a secondary market
transaction.
b.
If you purchased 100 shares of Disney stock from your
brother-in-law, this would be an example of a primary market
transaction.
c.
The IPO market is a subset of the secondary market.
d.
Only institutions, and not individuals, can participate in
derivatives market transactions.
e.
As they are generally defined, money market transactions
involve debt securities with maturities of less than one
year.
____25.You recently sold to your brother 200 shares of
Disney stock, and the transfer was made through a broker, and the
trade occurred on the NYSE. This is an example of:
a.
A futures market transaction.
b.
A primary market transaction.
c.
A secondary market transaction.
d.
A money market transaction.
e.
An over-the-counter market transaction.
____26.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
The New York Stock Exchange is an auction market with a
physical location.
b.
Capital market transactions involve only the purchase and sale
of equity securities, i.e., common stocks.
c.
If an investor sells shares of stock through a broker, then
this would be a primary market transaction.
d.
Consumer automobile loans are evidenced by legal documents
called "promissory notes," and these individual notes are traded in
the money market.
e.
While the distinctions are blurring as investment banks are
today buying commercial banks, and vice versa, investment banks
generally specialize in lending money, whereas commercial banks
generally help companies raise capital from other parties.
____27.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Capital market instruments include both long-term debt and
common stocks.
b.
An example of a primary market transaction would be your uncle
transferring 100 shares of Wal-Mart stock to you as a birthday
gift.
c.
The NYSE does not exist as a physical location; rather, it
represents a loose collection of dealers who trade stocks
electronically.
d.
If your uncle in New York sold 100 shares of Microsoft through
his broker to an investor in Los Angeles, this would be a primary
market transaction.
e.
While the two frequently perform similar functions, investment
banks generally specialize in lending money, whereas commercial
banks generally help companies raise large blocks of capital from
investors.
____28.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
While the distinctions are blurring, investment banks
generally specialize in lending money, whereas commercial banks
generally help companies raise capital from other parties.
b.
A liquid security is a security whose value is derived from
the price of some other "underlying" asset.
c.
Money market mutual funds usually invest most of their money
in a well-diversified portfolio of liquid common stocks.
d.
Money markets are markets for long-term debt and common
stocks.
e.
The NYSE operates as an auction market, whereas the Nasdaq is
a dealer market.
____29.One drawback of switching from a partnership to the
corporate form of organization is the following:
a.
It subjects the firm to additional regulations.
b.
It cannot affect the amount of the firm's operating income
that goes to taxes.
c.
It makes it more difficult for the firm to raise additional
capital.
d.
It makes the firm's investors subject to greater potential
personal liabilities.
e.
It makes it more difficult for the firm's investors to
transfer their ownership interests.
____30.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
A hostile takeover is the main method of transferring
ownership interest in a corporation.
b.
Unlimited liability and limited life are two key advantages of
the corporate form over other forms of business organization.
c.
A corporation is a legal entity that is generally created by a
state, and it has a life and existence that is separate from the
lives of its individual owners and managers.
d.
Limited liability of its stockholders is an advantage of the
corporate form of organization, but corporations have more trouble
raising money in financial markets because of the complexity of
this form of organization.
e.
Although its stockholders are insulated by limited legal
liability, the legal status of the corporation does not protect the
firm's managers in the same way, i.e., bondholders can sue its
managers if the firm defaults on its debt, even if the default is
the result of poor economic conditions.
____31.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
In a regular partnership, liability for other partners'
misdeeds is limited to the amount of a particular partner's
investment in the business.
b.
Partnerships have more difficulty attracting large amounts of
capital than corporations because of such factors as unlimited
liability, the need to reorganize when a partner dies, and the
illiquidity (difficulty buying and selling) of partnership
interests.
c.
A slow-growth company, with little need for new capital, would
be more likely to organize as a corporation than would a faster
growing company.
d.
In a limited partnership, the limited partners have voting
control, while the general partner has operating control over the
business. Also, the limited partners are individually responsible,
on a pro rata basis, for the firm's debts in the event of
bankruptcy.
e.
A major disadvantage of all partnerships relative to all
corporations is the fact that federal income taxes must be paid by
the partners rather than by the firm itself.
____32.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Corporations are at a disadvantage relative to partnerships
because they have to file more reports to state and federal
agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Administration,
even if they are not publicly owned.
b.
In a regular partnership, liability for the firm's debts is
limited to the amount a particular partner has invested in the
business.
c.
A fast-growth company would be more likely to set up as a
partnership for its business organization than would a slow-growth
company.
d.
Partnerships have difficulty attracting capital in part
because of their unlimited liability, the lack of impermanence of
the organization, and difficulty in transferring ownership.
e.
A major disadvantage of a partnership relative to a
corporation as a form of business organization is the high cost and
practical difficulty of its formation.
____33.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Most businesses (by number and total dollar sales) are
organized as proprietorships or partnerships because it is easier
to set up and operate in one of these forms rather than as a
corporation. However, if the business gets very large, it becomes
advantageous to convert to a corporation, primarily because
corporations have important tax advantages over proprietorships and
partnerships.
b.
Due to limited liability, unlimited lives, and ease of
ownership transfer, the vast majority of U.S. businesses (in terms
of number of businesses) are organized as corporations.
c.
Due to legal considerations related to ownership transfers and
limited liability, most business (measured by dollar sales) is
conducted by corporations in spite of large corporations' often
less favorable tax treatment.
d.
Large corporations are taxed more favorably than sole
proprietorships.
e.
Corporate stockholders are exposed to unlimited
liability.
____34.Jane Doe, who has substantial personal wealth and
income, is considering the possibility of starting a new business
in the chemical waste management field. She will be the sole owner,
and she has enough funds to finance the operation. The business
will have a relatively high degree of risk, and it is expected that
the firm will incur losses for the first few years. However, the
prospects for growth and positive future income look good, and Jane
plans to have the firm pay out all of its income as dividends to
her once it is well established. Which of the legal forms of
business organization would probably best suit her needs?
a.
Proprietorship, because of ease of entry.
b.
S corporation, to gain some tax advantages and also to obtain
limited liability.
c.
Partnership, but only if she needs additional capital.
d.
Regular corporation, because of the limited liability.
e.
In this situation, the various forms of organization seem
equally desirable.
____35.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
The corporate bylaws are a standard set of rules established
by the state of incorporation. These rules are identical for all
corporations in the state, and their purpose is to ensure that the
firm's managers run the firm in accordance with state laws.
b.
The corporate charter is a standard document prescribed by the
state of incorporation, and its purpose is to ensure that the
firm's managers run the firm in accordance with state laws.
Procedures for electing corporate directors are contained in
bylaws, while the declaration of the activities that the firm will
pursue and the number of directors are included in the corporate
charter.
c.
Companies must establish a home office, or domicile, in a
particular state, and that state must be the one in which most of
their business (sales, manufacturing, and so forth) is
conducted.
d.
Attorney fees are generally involved when a company develops
its charter and bylaws, but since these documents are voluntary, a
new corporation can avoid these costs by deciding not to have
either a charter or bylaws.
e.
The corporate charter is concerned with things like what
business the company will engage in, whereas the bylaws are
concerned with things like procedures for electing the board of
directors.
____36.With which of the following statements would most
people in business agree?
a.
A corporation's short-run profits will almost always increase
if the firm takes actions that the government has determined are in
the best interests of the nation.
b.
Firms and government agencies almost always agree with one
another regarding the restrictions that should be placed on hiring
and firing employees.
c.
Although people's moral characters are probably developed
before they get into a business school, it is still useful for
business schools to cover ethics, including giving students an idea
about the adverse consequences of unethical behavior to themselves,
their firms, and the nation.
d.
It is not useful for a large corporation to develop a formal
set of rules defining ethical and unethical behavior. Such rules
generally can't be applied in many specific instances, so it is
better to deal with ethical issues on a case-by-case basis.
e.
"Whistle blowers," because of the courage it takes to blow the
whistle, are generally promoted more rapidly than other
employees.
____37.The primary operating goal of a publicly-owned firm
interested in serving its stockholders should be to
a.
Maximize the stock price per share over the long run, which is
the stock's intrinsic value.
b.
Maximize the firm's expected EPS.
c.
Minimize the chances of losses.
d.
Maximize the firm's expected total income.
e.
Maximize the stock price on a specific target date.
____38.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
The proper goal of the financial manager should be to attempt
to maximize the firm's expected cash flows, because this will add
the most to the wealth of the individual shareholders.
b.
The financial manager should seek that combination of assets,
liabilities, and capital that will generate the largest expected
projected after-tax income over the relevant time horizon,
generally the coming year.
c.
The riskiness inherent in a firm's earnings per share (EPS)
depends on the characteristics of the projects the firm selects,
and thus on the firm's assets. However, EPS is not affected by the
manner in which those assets are financed.
d.
Potential agency problems can arise between stockholders and
managers, because managers hired as agents to act on behalf of the
owners may instead make decisions favorable to themselves rather
than the stockholders.
e.
Large, publicly-owned firms like AT&T and GM are
controlled by their management teams. Ownership is generally widely
dispersed, hence managers have great freedom in how they manage the
firm. Managers may operate in stockholders' best interests, but
they may also operate in their own personal best interests. As long
as managers stay within the law, there is no way to either force or
motivate them to act in the stockholders' best interests.
____39.Suppose the U.S. Treasury announces plans to issue
$50 billion of new bonds. Assuming the announcement was not
expected, what effect, other things held constant, would that have
on bond prices and interest rates?
a.
Prices and interest rates would both rise.
b.
Prices would rise and interest rates would decline.
c.
Prices and interest rates would both decline.
d.
There would be no changes in either prices or interest
rates.
e.
Prices would decline and interest rates would rise.
____40.Which of the following would be most likely to lead
to higher interest rates on all debt securities in the
economy?
a.
Households start saving a larger percentage of their
income.
b.
The economy moves from a boom to a recession.
c.
The level of inflation begins to decline.
d.
Corporations step up their expansion plans and thus increase
their demand for capital.
e.
The Federal Reserve uses monetary policy in an attempt to
stimulate the economy.
____41.Which of the following factors would be most likely
to lead to an increase in interest rates in the economy?
a.
Households reduce their consumption and increase their
savings.
b.
The Federal Reserve decides to try to stimulate the
economy.
c.
There is a decrease in expected inflation.
d.
The economy falls into a recession.
e.
Most businesses decide to modernize and expand their
manufacturing capacity, and to install new equipment to reduce
labor costs.
____42.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
If General Electric were to issue new stock this year it would
be considered a secondary market transaction since the company
already has stock outstanding.
b.
Capital market transactions only include preferred stock and
common stock transactions.
c.
The distinguishing feature between spot markets versus futures
markets transactions is the maturity of the investments. That is,
spot market transactions involve securities that have maturities of
less than one year, whereas futures markets transactions involve
securities with maturities greater than one year.
d.
Both Nasdaq "dealers" and NYSE "specialists" hold inventories
of stocks.
e.
An electronic communications network (ECN) is a physical
location exchange.
____43.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
Corporations generally are subject to fewer regulations and
more favorable tax treatment than sole proprietorships and
partnerships. This is why corporations do most of the business in
the United States.
b.
Managers who face the threat of hostile takeovers are less
likely to pursue policies that maximize shareholder value than are
managers who do not face the threat of hostile takeovers.
c.
One advantage of the corporate form of organization is that
liability of the owners of the firm is limited to their investment
in the firm.
d.
Because of their simplified organization, it is easier for
sole proprietorships and partnerships to raise large amounts of
outside capital than it is for corporations.
e.
Bond covenants are an effective way to resolve conflicts
between shareholders and managers.
____44.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
A good goal for a firm's management is maximization of
expected EPS.
b.
Most business in the U.S. is conducted by corporations, and
corporations' popularity results primarily from their favorable tax
treatment.
c.
Because most stock ownership is concentrated in the hands of a
relatively small segment of society, firms' actions to maximize
their stock prices have little benefit to society.
d.
Corporations and partnerships have an advantage over
proprietorships because a sole proprietor is exposed to unlimited
liability, but the liability of all investors in the other types of
businesses is more limited.
e.
The potential exists for agency conflicts between stockholders
and managers.
____45.Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
a.
One disadvantage of operating as a corporation rather than as
a partnership is that corporate shareholders are exposed to more
personal liability than partners.
b.
There is no good reason to expect a firm's stockholders and
bondholders to react differently to the types of new asset
investments a firm makes.
c.
Bondholders are generally more willing than stockholders to
have managers invest in risky projects with high potential returns
as opposed to safer projects with lower expected returns.
d.
Stockholders are generally more willing than bondholders to
have managers invest in risky projects with high potential returns
as opposed to safer projects with lower expected returns.
e.
Relative to sole proprietorships, corporations generally face
fewer regulations, and this makes it easier for corporations to
raise capital.
____46.Which of the following statements is NOT
CORRECT?
a.
When a corporation's shares are owned by a few individuals and
are not traded on public markets, we say that the firm is "closely,
or privately, held."
b.
"Going public" establishes a firm's true intrinsic value, and
it also insures that a highly liquid market will always exist for
the firm's shares.
c.
When stock in a closely held corporation is offered to the
public for the first time, the transaction is called "going
public," and the market for such stock is called the new issue
market.
d.
Publicly owned companies have shares owned by investors who
are not associated with management, and public companies must
register with and report to a regulatory agency such as the
SEC.
e.
It is possible for a firm to go public and yet not raise any
additional new capital at the time.