Capital Structure: History of Leverage at Harvey Norman

Our company will plan to finance our strategy principally through issuing stock and cash flows from operating activities generated from the company’s normal business functions. It is undesirable for our strategy to issue debt because we would like to stay away from interest payments. Our company anticipates our debt to equity leverage ratio to be around 0.5.

Finding the perfect capital structure in terms of risk and reward can ensure a company meets shareholder expectations and protects a firm in times of recession. Capital structure refers to how a business puts its money to “work”. The two forms of capital structure are equity capital and debt capital. Both have their benefits and limitations. Striking that perfect balance between the two can mean the difference between thriving versus trying to survive.

The firm has decided to increase the debt finance component portion from 20% to 30% which is a good decision since the interest payments are 100% tax deductible. The appropriate capital structure would be to

they must pay interest payments or risk bankrupting of the firm. It also helps reduce

In addition, as we are comparing the profit margin and operating profit margin, we notice that interest expense, from 2006 to 2010, consumed a relative small portion of sales proceeds comparing to 2011. In 2011, the profit margin for HH is -1.46% and the operating profit margin for HH is -0.74%. Since profit margin includes interest expense in the calculation while operating profit margin does not, we can conclude that HH has about the same amount in interest expense as the amount of operating loss before interest. This finally doubles the amount of company’s loss at the end of the cycle. This big amount of interest expense leads us to study HH’s leverage ratios.

Lowe’s is the 14th largest retailer in the United States and is presently planning aggressive expansion, opening a new store on average every three days. Lowe's revenue growth is primarily a function of penetration of the market increase resulting from a burst of new locations instead of the same store sales. Although Lowe’s has grown tremendously, it remains half the size of Home Depot and has serious debt burden that increases its risk level drastically. Lowe’s is Home Depot’s largest competitor because both companies have the same products, services, and enormous warehouse formats. In this major retail market Lowe’s and Home Depot stores go toe

While Harvey Norman trading as a multi-sector business selling computer, electrical, furniture and bedding goods, the retail industry in which HVN operates involves larger range of goods and services (all customer consumables). The largest product segment is clothing, footwear and accessories. However, driven by growth in product technology and functionality, electrical goods have overtaken goods from department stores over the past five years with several other major competitors (Dick smith, Office works etc.) who kept pressure on HVN.

However, in 2009 revenues declined to $4.5 million along with net cash flows from all activities declining in 2009 as well. Overall capital expenditures for the company have been continually increasing by 26% each year. Milton had planned on borrowing $20 million in the fourth quarter of 2010 from

However, the Walgreens’ capital structure is similar to its stronger competitor CVS’ capital structure that I defined as the benchmark. CVS has a total liabilities and shareholders’ equity of $54,721.90, where total debt is $23,400 representing the 42.76% and total equity is $31,321.90 which represents 57.24%. Moreover, if we compare 2006 results to 2007, I realize that capital structure

In every business there is always a need for capital expenditures. Capital Expenditures can be very beneficial and can also differentiate the numbers from rival companies. According to readings “capital expenses are extensive and mostly hold a company’s substantial amount of money. Companies invest in prime property, plant, machinery, buildings and other forms of fixed assets, which also act as securities for the company. I chose to look up the Capital Expenditures of two companies that are known in many households: Walmart and Target. The annual report of mutually businesses over the past three years will be examined. This

Aside from the two aforementioned proposals the company can raise its leverage in other ways. By conducting DuPont analysis and understanding operating leverage we see that purchasing fixed assets and decreasing stockholder’s equity will raise the equity multiplier and the firm’s operating leverage. In this instance we recommend against this approach as the firm already has a large amount of excess cash above what they require to fund new positive NPV projects and purchase new assets. Investors would rather see their capital returned to them in the form of share repurchases and dividends as it is evident by the company’s cash stockpile that they can

Managing debt levels to maintain an investment grade credit rating as well as operate with an efficient capital structure for its growth plans and industry

from the multiple rounds of financing. How has this capital structure affected the offer from

The productive assets of property, plant, and equipment changed dramatically in 1996 they were 5,581 to 2010 an increase to 21,706. In total current assets there was a increase in 1996 from 5,910 to in 2010 21,579. Another significant change is in long term debt in 1996 of 1,116 to in 2010 an increase to 14,041. Also an important figure to note is in the retained earning in 1996 they were 94% (15,127) to 2010 68%

The last row shows the percentage change in EPS the company will experience in a recession or an expansion economy under the proposed recapitalization.