CIMA F3 Exam With Confidence Using Practice Dumps

Company X is an established, unquoted, specialist IT advisory firm with steady results, predictable dividends and cashflows. Company P is only buying 30% (a minority stake).

B. Dividend based using DVM – Very suitable because dividends are predictable and regular. For a minority stake, dividends are often the main measurable return, so a dividend valuation model is appropriate.

C. Cash based using free cash flow before interest – A DCF valuation based on free cash flow to the firm is also appropriate for a profitable, growing, going concern. You can value the whole business using FCFF and then take 30% of the equity value.

Asset-based (A) is less relevant for a specialist service company with relatively few tangible assets. P/E-based methods (D and E) are less ideal given there are few direct competitors, making comparables unreliable.

Once Division B is sold, Division A becomes heavily reliant on B as a major external customer. If the new owner reduces purchases or switches supplier, Division A’s volumes and viability are at risk. That makes:

C. Division A's going concern is highly dependent on its relationship with Division B – the main risk.

The question asks for advantages to the acquiring company (ADC/ABC) of using shares rather than cash to pay for DEF.

C. It incentivises DEF to continue creating value for the combined group

If DEF’s shareholders (and possibly managers) receive shares in ADC, they now own part of the combined business. That aligns their interests with ADC’s existing shareholders and encourages them to help grow the value of the group.

E. The risk of poor future performance of the acquisition is shared with the DEF company shareholder.

If ADC pays with shares, DEF’s shareholders share in both the upside and downside. If the acquisition underperforms, the fall in value is shared instead of all the risk resting on ADC’s original shareholders. That’s an advantage for ADC.

F. It preserves liquidity

Paying with shares means ADC does not need to use up cash or raise new debt. This preserves cash balances and borrowing capacity, which is a clear advantage.

Why not the others?

A (sharing benefits of future growth with DEF shareholders) is actually a cost from ADC’s existing shareholders’ viewpoint – they give away more of the upside.

B dilution of ownership is also a disadvantage, not an advantage.

D a tax saving for ABC – the tax impact is usually more relevant for sellers or when using debt, not typically a direct advantage of share consideration to the acquirer.