MCI Case Analysis
INTRODUCTION
MCI is at a critical point in their company history. After going public in 1972 they experienced several years of operating losses. Then in 1974 the FCC ordered MCI's largest competitor AT&T to supply interconnection to MCI and the rest of the long distance market. With a more even playing field the opportunities to increase market share and revenue were significant. In order to maximize this opportunity MCI required capital. Their poor financial performance required them to use less traditional instruments to obtain financing. The capital acquired supported their growth until they reached a level of profitability in 1978. Subsequently they continued to increase their net income and the quality of their balance sheet. With continued prospects for growth tempered with some regulatory uncertainty they need to determine their optimal financial structure for the future.
CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS
MCI's capital requirements for the next 3 years are x,y and z. (see exhibit A). These values are based on a number of different assumptions. (See exhibit B). The forecast is not without a level of uncertainty. Specifically there are regulatory decisions where the outcome is not clear at this time. This could impact profit margin plus or minus seven percentage points. (See exhibit c)
CAPITAL STRUCTURE
MCI current capital structure is x% debt and y% equity. Their key ratios are a, b, and c. Comparing to other firms in the utilities industry they appear to be underutilizing (debt/equity). (See exhibit D). Referencing the forecast there is expected to b...
... middle of paper ...
... in the case (if any) and the following questions:
1. What are MCI's needs for future external funds likely to be?
2. What is an appropriate capital structure for MCI?
3. How has MCI raised external funds in the past? How sensible have these decision been?
4. What should MCI do now?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Author not named (2002), Assessing a Firm's Future Financial Health, Harvard Business School Publishing.
Stein, J. (1992). Convertible Bonds As Backdoor Equity Financing. Retrieved on June 12, 2006, from the World Wide Web at: http://www.financeprofessor.com/summaries/Stein1992ConvBond%20paper.htm.
Jen, F, Choi, D, and Lee, S. (1997). Some Evidence on Why Companies Use Convertible Bonds. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance. Retrieved on June 12, 2006 from the World Wide Web at: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.1745-6622.1997.tb00124.x.
Robert Zimmerman, the senior vice president of business development, for American Cable Communications (ACC) was in the process of looking for a potential acquisition target for ACC. In December 2007, Zimmerman remember a presentation that was made recently by Rubinstein & Ross (R&R). R&R was a boutique investment bank that was well known for doing deals in the media and telecommunications area. During this presentation it was suggested that ACC buy out AirThread Connections (AirThread) which is a large regional cellular provider. The current industry of these companies were moving more toward bundled service offerings and by adding AirThread it would help ACC cover an area of service it does not currently offer. In order to determine if the acquisition should be done an analysis needs to be done.
Payers are consolidating, providers are merging, and both are vertically integrating, creating a new breed of hybrid clinical and risk-bearing customers for Medtronic. Their struggle to effectively manage outcomes and costs exposes a need that Medtronic can address.
Also, the usage of high yield bonds securities for financing became popular during the 1990s in foreign markets such as Latin America, Asia, and Europe showing the rise in international appeal for these kinds of securities. However, outside of the U.S the high yield market has taken a longer time to become popular and thus there is still room for the development of high yield bonds within financial markets in emerging countries. It is safe to determine that the market for high-yield bonds will always be in existence since it is a viable alternative for many fast growing firms to acquire financing and is a rewarding option for investors. The key to the still growing, strong market demand for high yield bonds is based on linking the [U.S.] economy’s constant desire for capital with investors’ desire for higher returns on their investment.
You would not buy a home, car or other large purchases without researching what product offered you the most for your money. The same is true when investing in a company. Investors do avid research on multiple companies to find what company matches the investors' criteria. In this paper Team C will research both AT&T and Verizon's financial documents. Team C will compare selected ratios, cash flow and make recommendations how both companies can manage cash flow for the future.
Looking at the individual ratios seen in exhibit 1 and comparing it to the industry average shown in exhibit 2 gives a sense of where this company stands. Current ratio and quick ratio are really low and have been decreasing. For 1995, the current ratio is 1.15:1, which is less than the industry average of 1.60:1, however to give a better sense of where this stands in the industry, as seen in exhibit 3, it is actually less than the average of the bottom 25% of the industry. The quick ratio is 0.61 is less than the industry is 0.90. Both these ratios serve to point out the lack of cash in this company. The cash flow has been decreasing because, it takes longer to get the money from customers, but the company still needs to pay for its purchases. Also, the company couldn’t go over the $400,000 loan limit, so they were forced to stretch their cash.
In assessing Du Pont’s capital structure after the Conoco merger that significantly increased the company’s debt to equity ratio, an analyst must look at all benefits and drawbacks of a high debt ratio. The main reason why Du Pont ended up with a high debt to equity ratio after acquiring Conoco was due to the timing and price at which they bought Conoco. Du Pont ended up buying the firm at its peak, just before coal and oil prices started to fall and at a time when economic recession hurt the chemical industry of Du Pont. The additional response from analysts and Du Pont stockholders also forced Du Pont to think twice about their new expansion. The thought of bringing the debt ratio back to 25% was brought on by the fact that the company saw that high levels of capital spending were vital to the success of the firm and that high debt levels may put them at higher risk for defaulting.
approach was to be utilized as a framework for financing (Kronenfeld, 2011). In 1972, benefits
Currently, HCA is approaching an all time high debt ratio of 70%, well above their established target ratio of 60%. The increase in debt ratio has attracted the attention of rating agencies who have clearly stated that in order for HCA to maintain their A bond rating HCA must return to their 60-40 capital structure. Now the question arises as to whether the A rating should be sought or should HCA move to a less conservative position. Some investors believe that a more aggressive use of leverage would present greater opportunities in the future. Others feel that with changes in Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement structure on the horizon, HCA should remain conservative. In order to decrease the debt ratio, HCA would have to 1) decrease the growth rate (inadvertently decreasing ROE) or 2) decrease debt/increase equity. The debt ratio is important for many reasons, but it should not be the basis of a company's future. The market will ultimately decide the value based on numerous facts, not just the bond rating.
The final model used to compute the cost of capital was the earning capitalization model. The problem with this model is that it does not take into consideration the growth of the company. Therefore we chose to reject this calculation. The earnings capitalization model calculations were found this way:
Effective competition is widely seen as a key to the development of telecommunications services. The ability of new telecommunications networks to interconnect fairly and efficiently with existing networks is critical to the development of competition. AT&T has undergone numerous changes since its inception in the late 19th century. The McKinsey 7 S framework as applied by Pascale is recommended to manage the changes they are facing to adopt a greater competitive presence in the global economy. In conjunction with this framework, numerous other models were applied to analyse the global competitive position of AT&T. Recommendations for a revised strategy and direction for AT&T have been made throughout this document including two scenarios of how the telecommunications industry might develop towards 2000, while outlining the impact on AT&T.
only make up 16.7% of the capital structure. Thus, the credit risk for any credit commitment was not too high
During the last few years, Harry Davis Industries has been too constrained by the high cost of capital to make many capital investments. Recently, though, capital costs have been declining, and the company has decided to look seriously at a major expansion program that had been proposed by the marketing department. Assume that you are an assistant to Leigh Jones, the financial vice president. Your first task is to estimate Harry Davis’s cost of capital. Jones has provided you with the following data, which she believes may be relevant to your task.
What is the difference between a. and a. The argument of the debt financing being a risky venture since the proposition was to pay out to a sinking fund does not make sense. Over the course of the next seven years, CCI had a historical growth. in revenue of 9%. This growth along with the $2M tax shelter would.
Brealey, Richard A., Marcus, Alan J., Myers, Stewart C. 1999, Fundamentals of Corporate Finance, 2nd edn, Craig S. Beytien, USA.
The capital structure of a firm is the way in which it decides to finance its operations from various funds, comprising debt, such as bonds and outstanding loans, and equity, including stock and retained earnings. In the long term, firms seek to find the optimal debt-equity ratio. This essay will explore the advantages and disadvantages of different capital structure mixes, and consider whether this has any relevance to firm value in theory and in reality.