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6.4 Hybrids of debt and equity

Companies may raise long-term funds using instruments that contain both debt and equity characteristics. For example, redeemable preference shares that have a fixed redemption date are basicallythe same as loans. Although they may be shown as part of shareholders' equity in the position statement, analysts will count them as debt when working out the leverage ratio.

Another example is convertible notes . These are debt instruments that can be converted into shares at some future date. The holder (lender) gets a fixed interest security that carries an option to acquire a predetermined number of shares, or have the debt paid in cash. This is a useful way for an investor to reduce risk when investing in a new company, and is useful to the issuing company, as the debt will be replaced by equity at a predetermined date. One disadvantage is that the issuing company loses some control over its financial structure as the note holders can individually decide whether they will convert their notes into shares.

The characteristics of debt and equity finance are compared in the following table:

 

Debt finance

Equity finance

 

Relationship/ownership

 

Lenders are creditors

 

Shareholders are owners

 

 

Claims on assets

 

Lenders have preferential claims in a liquidation

Shareholders have only a residual claim after creditors are paid

 

Rate of return

Lenders usually require a lower rate of return

Shareholders want a higher rate due to greater risk

 

 

 

Interest/dividend payments

 

Interest rates are fixed and must be paid (are part of any net loss)

Dividend payments are not fixed and may vary with the amount of net profit and the cash available

 

Tax implications

Interest expense is tax deductible

Dividends are not tax deductible

 

 

 

Maturity date of debt/ equity

Principal debt must be repaid by a predetermined future date, in a lump sum or by instalments

 

 

Shares have no expiry date and are issued in perpetuity

 

Can you see that it is difficult to slot hybrid securities neatly into either category?

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