Does the Weighted Cost of Capital Associate with Returns on Operating and Financial Assets with Investor Anticipation or Reaction? [And Do Operating and Financial Assets Have Synergy?]

27 Pages Posted: 16 Nov 2007 Last revised: 10 Feb 2008

Date Written: 2006

Abstract

The relation of firm accounting information and investor decision-making is a key financial accounting issue. Firm accounting information is a result of management's decisions. This study focuses on the investors' perspective of the consequences of management's actions with respect to the cost of firm capital and the returns on assets. Conventional thought hypothesizes management to maximize the return on asset investments within the rubric of minimizing the firm weighted average cost of capital. Within this framework, we investigate financial statement relevance with regard to whether investors anticipate or react to firm asset investment returns. The study also examines the existence of synergy between firm operating and financial asset returns. Because leverage is a central capital structure factor, we also investigate the leverage impact on the relation between investor supplied fund costs and asset returns.

Keywords: accounting information relevance, weighted average cost of capital, asset returns

JEL Classification: G10, G14, G32, M41

Suggested Citation

Swanson, Zane L. and Viinanen, Veli, Does the Weighted Cost of Capital Associate with Returns on Operating and Financial Assets with Investor Anticipation or Reaction? [And Do Operating and Financial Assets Have Synergy?] (2006). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1030387 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1030387

Zane L. Swanson (Contact Author)

University of Central Oklahoma ( email )

100 North University Drive
Edmond, OK 73034
United States

Veli Viinanen

Deloitte ( email )

Paramount Plaza
Midtown Manhattan
New York, NY AB
United States

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