Presented to the School of Accountancy University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg This research report is submitted to the faculty of Commerce, Law and Management in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Commerce (specialising in Taxation) Date: 31 March 2016 / This research focuses on large corporate transactions and acknowledges that they play a significant role in the allocation of resources in society. For this reason (1) the composition of firms’ capital structure and (2) how they choose to fund their investments are important. The South African income tax system has a bias towards debt and this bias (1) distorts the financing and investment decisions of firms; and (2) creates international tax arbitrage opportunities. These circumstances are not exclusive to South Africa. In order to address these distortions and loopholes the National Treasury and the SARS Commissioner have introduced complicated interest deduction limitations. This research critically analyses (1) the new adjusted tax rules concerning interest deduction limitations in finance transactions and (2) whether these new rules encourage investment. To assist with this critical analysis we use corporate finance theory to examine debt push-down transactions/structures because these structures are seen as highly tax-efficient for investors (both foreign and local). This research demonstrates that there are many different ways to finance a transaction but ultimately the choice of finance lies along the continuum between the issue of debt or equity. From an economic perspective this research confirms that there is no material reason for the disparate treatment between debt and equity. However from a legal perspective debt and equity instruments are materially distinct and thus tax considerations are influential in selecting the form of finance used in a transaction. This research not only concludes that leverage transactions utilising excessive debt pose a risk to tax revenues, tax sovereignty and tax fairness but also that the artificial statutory treatment of interest deductions on leverage transactions and working capital facilities means that (1) firms’ ability to finance their operations is reduced, (2) the value of firms is reduced and (3) the incentive for investors to invest in South Africa is also reduced. / MT2017

Thesis (Ph. D. in Management)--Vanderbilt University, Dec. 2005. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Företagsfinansiering är ett väl diskuterat ämne de senaste årtionden. Alla beslut som fattas av företagsledningen innebär finansiella konsekvenser för företaget. Ett av de viktigaste områdena inom företagsfinansiering är kapitalstrukturen, som handlar om hur stor företagets totala skulder är i förhållande till det egna kapitalet. Det finns många faktorer som påverkar företagets kapitalstruktur, nämligen lönsamhet, storlek med flera. Med grund i The pecking order theory samt Miles och Snows typology försöker vi i denna uppsats att förklara sambandet mellan företagsstrategi och kapitalstruktur. Företagen delas in i olika strategier utifrån hur stor andel av sin nettoomsättning respektive företag spenderar på forskning och utveckling. Vår urvalsgrupp består av 54 företag inom hälsovårdsindustri i Sverige. Alla dessa bolag är listade på börsen Nasdaq Stockholm. Utav de här 54 bolagen kunde vi identifiera 12 bolag med försvarare strategi, 36 företag som har prospektör strategi och 6 företag med analyserare strategi. Våra resultat tyder på att företag med försvarare strategi är positivt och statistiskt signifikant relaterade till använding av skulder. Däremot är prospektörer signifikant och negativt relaterade till användning av skuldfinansiering. Dock kunde inte vi hitta något statistiskt säkerställt samband mellan analyserare och skuldfinansiering. Denna uppsats bidrar till ökade förståelser för hur företagsstrategi och kapitalstruktur kan vara relaterade till varandra. / Corporate finance is a well-debated subject over the last decades. All the decisions that are made by corporate managers have financial implications. One of the most important issues in corporate finance is capital structure, which refers to the proportion of total debt a company has compared to its total equity. There are many factors that affect the capital structure of a firm, namely profitability, size, and many other factors. Based on The pecking order theory, and Miles and Snows typology, this bachelor thesis aims to explore how strategy orientations influence the choice of capital structure. Firms are categorized in different strategies based on how much they spend on R&D activities. Our sample consists of 54 Swedish Healthcare companies that are listed on NASDAQ Stockholm. Out of those 54 firms, we could find 12 firms with defender strategy, 36 firms with prospector strategy, and 6 firms with analyzer strategy. Finally, the results of the study show that defenders are significantly and positively related to the use of debt financing. In contrast, prospectors are significantly and negatively related to the use of debt. And lastly, we could not find any statistically significant relationship between analyzers and the use of debt financing. This study contributes to the knowledge about the link between organizational strategy and capital structure.

The first part of this doctorate dissertation examines the factors influencing the occurrence and costs of pinhole leak corrosion as well as the household decisions for corrosion prevention and plumbing material selection. Three mail surveys of households were used to elicit the experiences with leaks as well as the optimal corrosion prevention and material choices. Probability modeling (i.e. MNL) and linear regression analysis were used to analyze survey responses. Pinhole leak occurrences were found associated with pipe type installed, property age, pipe failure history, and dwelling distance from a water treatment plant. The number and location of pinhole leaks in the dwelling and the pipe type are associated with the financial costs of pinhole leaks. The corrosion prevention choices as well as the plumbing materials depended on the risk of corrosion and cost associated with each option. Previous experiences with pinhole leak impacted the decision for household choices. Faster responses to pinhole leak outbreaks by utility managers and policymakers in terms of advising homeowners on the best ways of responding to leaks would assist homeowners in reducing costs of pinhole leak repairs and associated damages. The second part of this document deals with the debt financing issues. Debt financing decisions are made simultaneously by lenders and borrowers. Since lenders are unable to observe directly the firms’ investment decisions, the banks offer contracts based up on firms’ observable characteristics (i.e. wealth and size) and the prevailing market conditions. When deciding on the financing decisions, firms also take into account the changes in macroeconomic variables in order to lower the cost of borrowing. As a result, the goal for this article is to examine empirically the hypothesis of the effect of the debt determinant as well as the macroeconomic variables on the debt maturity structure. A reduced form of the simultaneous financing decisions model is estimated by employing several OLS estimation methods. The empirical findings offer strong support for firms with few growth options, large, and of low quality having more long-term debt in their capital structure. There was, however, no clear support for the impact of macroeconomic variables on debt maturity as some variables were not statistically significant. / Ph. D.

Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit der Rolle der Unternehmenskreditfinanzierung für die Realwirtschaft. Im ersten Teil untersuche ich die Entwicklung der externen Finanzierungsprämien in den USA in Folge von ökonomischen Schocks und finde, dass die Prämie antizyklisch auf Angebots- und monetäre Schocks reagiert. Im zweiten Teil analysiere ich mit Hilfe eines DSGE-Modells, wie die Zusammenfassung aus Bankkreditfinanzierung und Anleihefinanzierung die Transmission von ökonomischen Schocks beeinflusst. Angenommen, dass große Unternehmen größtenteils Anleihenmärkte verwenden und kleine Unternehmen auf Bankkredite angewiesen sind, zeigt das Modell, dass die Zusammensetzung des Unternehmenskreditfinanzierung relevant für die Verbreitung von Schocks ist. Negative monetäre Schocks und Finanzschocks beeinträchtigen die Kreditvergabe von fragilen Banken, die in Folge die Bankkredite an kleine Unternehmen kürzen. Unternehmen, die auf Anleihenfinanzierung zurückgreifen können, können sich in Zeiten steigender Prämien über Unternehmensanleihen refinanzieren. Daher reduzieren diese Unternehmen nicht in so starken Ausmaß ihre Investitionen wie kleine Firmen. Als Folge davon, ist eine Volkswirtschaft, die nur auf Bankkredite angewiesen ist, stärker von Schocks betroffen als eine Volkswirtschaft mit sowohl Bank- als auch Anleihenfinanzierung. Abschließend wird das Modell verwendet, um eine Kombination konventioneller und unkoventioneller Geldpolitik sowie makroprudentieller Politik in einer Ökonomie mit segmentierten Kreditmärkten zu evaluieren. Es wird gezeigt, dass der optimale Politikmix die höchsten Wohlfahrtsgewinne in Folge von Finanzschocks erreicht. / This thesis examines the role of corporate debt financing for the real economy. First, I study the conditional dynamics of the external finance premium using US data and find that the premium is countercyclical following supply and monetary policy shocks. Second, I analyze to which extent bank and bond financing affect the transmission of economic shocks in the context of a DSGE model. To the extent that large firms predominantly use capital market finance, whereas small firms rely on bank loans, the model predicts that the composition of corporate debt is relevant for the propagation of shocks. Contractionary monetary policy and financial shocks impair the ability of leveraged banks to provide loans, which adversely affects small firms. Bond financing dependent firms can nevertheless issue bonds in times of rising bond finance premia. These firms do not reduce their investments as strongly as bank financing dependent firms. As a consequence, the economy that relies only on bank credit is affected more by shocks than the economy with bank and bond finance. Finally, the model is used to evaluate the optimal mix of conventional, unconventional and macroprudential policies for segmented credit markets. I find that the optimal policy mix attains the highest welfare gains following financial shocks.

Die vorliegende Studie befasst sich mit den betriebswirtschaftlichen Besonderheiten kleiner und mittlerer Unternehmen (KMU) im Osten Deutschlands, welche sich grundsätzlich auch in der Finanzierung zeigen. Die Forschungen belegen, dass auch die unzureichende Innovationsdynamik Ostdeutschlands keineswegs nur ein konjunkturelles oder gar mentales, sondern ein strukturelles Phänomen ist. Die Analyse unterstreicht einen besonderen Handlungsbedarf in den östlichen Bundesländern, da hier einerseits kleine Unternehmen in großer Zahl vorhanden sind, auch der Mittelstand insgesamt weitgehend etabliert ist, aber im Ost-West-Vergleich weiterhin etablierte Großunternehmen als Partner seltener anzutreffen und die einen positiven Ausstrahlungseffekt auf mittelständische Zulieferbetriebe bewirken. Auch sind in Deutschland-Ost die Finanzierungsverhältnisse besondere, d.h. der Anteil der Fremdfinanzierung ist differenziert ausgeprägt. Entsprechend sollte die „Hausbank“ wegen ihrem herausragenden Stellenwert für den Mittelstand auf den Prüfstand. Die hier nochmals gezeigten Finanzierungsschwächen gelten zwar für KMU grundsätzlich, aber besonders für die kleinere KMU im Osten, wo zwar die Eigenkapitalquote gewachsen ist, aber beispielsweise die Fristenstrukturen der Fremdfinanzierung teilweise mit der Kapitalbindung im Anlagevermögen nicht kongruent sind. Die private Finanzierung von KMU muss wegen der Defizite strukturellen Mängel noch gezielter durch staatliche Förderinstrumente unterstützt werden. / This study deals with the specific business characteristics of small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in eastern Germany, which also appear in the context of financing. Research proves that the insufficient innovation dynamic in eastern Germany is not only caused by cyclical or mental reasons, but rather it is a structural phenomenon. The analysis clarifies a need for action in the eastern federal states, because on the one hand there are a lot of small and even some medium sized companies located, but on the other hand the east-west comparison shows that there are just a very few major enterprises in the eastern part of Germany, which could have a positive effect on medium sized suppliers. In addition, the financial structure in eastern Germany is special, i.e. debt financing is further distinguished. In this context, the high significance of traditional house banks for SMEs has to be questioned. The demonstrated financial difficulties concern SMEs in general, but especially very small SMEs in eastern Germany. In fact, most of those small companies could increase their equity ratio, but e.g. maturity structure of debt financing is in parts not congruent to capital commitment of noncurrent assets. Public development institutions have to support private financing of SMEs even more specific, because of several structural shortcomings.

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate the situation and development of the indebtedness of self-governing units with regard to the sustainability of individual budgets and also with regard to sustainability of consolidated public budgets in the Czech Republic, and therefore assess the conception of fiscal regulations for self-governing units in the Czech Republic. Based on the aim of the thesis a research question needed to be proposed: Are budgets of self-governing units one of the factors leading to the deterioration or improvement of sustainability of public finance? At first there are defined terms related to the indebtedness and debt regulation of local governments. Part of thesis is to analyze the indebtedness of all municipal and regions. The calculations of this work were divided into two parts: macro and micro point of view. On the basic of calculations it is possible to summarize that in 2014 the debt of municipalities was developing favorably in comparison to the debt of regions. The most problematic categories are municipalities with a population of 200 and cities with more than 100 001 people. The debt of self-governing units makes just under 7 % of the public debt. Based on the thesis, it is possible to reach the conclusion and answer the research question that budgets of the self-governing units are really one of the factors leading to the improvement of sustainability of public finance. Generally speaking, the public finance in the Czech Republic is considered as sustainable. The ratio of public debt to GDP is decreasing and is way under 60 %. The only possible problem is the debt of the regions. Their debt is constantly rising, however in comparison to the total public debt, it is still insignificant.

Chronic imbalance between government revenues and expenditures was the main cause of growing public debt in many economies. In economic theory we can find some other arguments that justify deficit financing of government expenditures or public debt. We can mention these arguments -- in some situations (for example natural disaster) government borrowing from other subjects is very prompt and operative way how to gain additional money and seems to be better than other ways (for example better than increase of taxation), government bonds and securities can be very attractive instrument where economic subjects allocate savings and improve liquidity of secondary markets or can be used for monetary policy. On the other hand many arguments against budget deficit and public debt are in theory described and analyzed -- negative affects in savings allocation (crowding-out affect), cost of debt service limits active fiscal policy, debt burden is shifted to other generations, government expenditures from debt financing can negatively effect macroeconomic stability. In theory and in practical policy is public debt and its effects on economy relatively complicated and controversial topic and we can analyze its from economic, technical and political point of view. It results also from the fact that there are many different debt instruments which can be used to finance the budget deficit. A main distinction is the currency of denomination, and, in particular, whether or not is the domestic currency. Another important characteristics is the initial term to maturity, which among marketable instrument may range from few weeks to 30 years. A policymaker may rely on marketable securities, as well as on loans from financial institutions and on savings bonds sold to personal investors. Which instruments policy makers choose depends on the objective they pursue as well as on the circumstances in which the choice is made. Debt management we can define as the process of establishing and executing a strategy for managing the government's debt in order to raise the required amount of funding, achieve its risk and cost objectives, and to meet any other sovereign debt management goals the government may have set, such as developing and maintaining an efficient market for government securities. The objective of debt management policy is to minimize over the long term the cost of meeting the government's financing needs, taking account of risk connecting with debt portfolio. Application of debt management in real economy covers for example these specific issues: Debt management objectives and strategy, coordination with fiscal and monetary policy, allocation of responsibilities and objectives among institutions and authorities dealing with debt management, transparency to public, institutional framework, technical and information base. Importance of public debt management results from facts that high levels of public debt are a common feature of modern economies. It is possible to suppose that debt management is going to be very actual issue in the Czech Republic in near future for these reasons -- Czech Republic is small and open economy (we can consider it to be emerging market), during last several years public debt in Czech Republic have been growing rapidly not only in absolute volume but also as GDP ratio, there is a permanent danger that financial and economic shocks in international economy combined with inappropriate fiscal and monetary policy can have negative or in extreme case fatal impact on many people living in the Czech Republic. Dissertation "Public debt Management" primary focused on these issues and problems: Basic theoretical points concerning fiscal policy, deficit and public (government) debt -- methodology of measuring debt, influence debt on economy, risks connecting with public (government) debt Arguments for and against deficit and debt Public debt management -- general recommendations of International Monetary Fund Practice as for the public debt management in some countries -- USA, Sweden, countries of Euro-area Situation as for the public debt in Czech Republic Public debt management in Czech Republic -- historic development, goals and criteria set and used presently, analyze of risks that public debt management deals with, risk management applied in Czech republic, evaluation public debt management in Czech republic -- confrontation with recommendations of International Monetary Fund Analyze of impact of financial crises on process of public debt management in Czech republic Some arrangements concerning directly or indirectly public dept management in Czech Republic are recommended and analyzed. These recommendations are: Implementation of "inflation-linked" bonds Increasing portion of debt denominated in euro currency Prolongation of calendar of emissions Improvement of intelligibility of documents named "Strategie" that should declare and explain principles of public debt management in Czech republic Creation and implementation of special law destined for public debt management

The goal of the Thesis was to perform a research about the Private Equity industry and Leveraged Buyout type of deal. Within practical part of the Thesis, was goal to create financial model and use it to analyse real case LBO transaction. Due to lack of Czech literature about the topic and secrecy of the industry, foreign studies and literature were primary source of information but also an interviews with Czech investment professionals and advisors. In practical part of the Thesis was created general LBO model with Microsoft Excel, with functions able to perform different LBO transactions. This financial model, was later used to perform LBO acquisition analysis of company Severomoraské vodovody a kanalizace Ostrava a.s.

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the bank client´s creditworthiness for the purpose of loan financing and to formulate some proposals for its improvement. Some methods of financial and non-financial company analysis applied in banking practice are shown there. The proposals to ensure debt service are formulated on the basis of the results of analyzes.