CORPORATE FINANCE --is the area of finance dealing with the sources of funding and the capital structure

of corporations and the actions that managers take to increase the value of the firm to the shareholders, as well as the tools and analysis used to allocate financial resources. The primary goal of corporate finance is to maximize shareholder value 1) The financial activities related to running a corporation. 2) A division or department that oversees the financial activities of a company. Corporate finance is primarily concerned with maximizing shareholder value through long-term and short-term financial planning and the implementation of various strategies. Everything from capital investment decisions to investment banking falls under the domain of corporate finance. Definition of 'Equity ' 1. A stock or any other security representing an ownership interest. 2. On a company's balance sheet, the amount of the funds contributed by the owners (the stockholders) plus the retained earnings (or losses). Also referred to as "shareholders' equity". 3. In the context of margin trading, the value of securities in a margin account minus what has been borrowed from the brokerage. 4. In the context of real estate, the difference between the current market value of the property and the amount the owner still owes on the mortgage. It is the amount that the owner would receive after selling a property and paying off the mortgage. 5. In terms of investment strategies, equity (stocks) is one of the principal asset classes. The other two are fixed-income (bonds) and cash/cash-equivalents. These are used in asset allocation planning to

structure a desired risk and return profile for an investor's portfolio. The term's meaning depends very much on the context. In finance, in general, you can think of equity as ownership in any asset after all debts associated with that asset are paid off. For example, a car or house with no outstanding debt is considered the owner's equity because he or she can readily sell the item for cash. Stocks are equity because they represent ownership in a company. General Rule: Debt generally has the following characteristics: Commitment to make fixed payments in the future The fixed payments are tax deductible Failure to make the payments can lead to either default or loss of control of the firm to the party to whom payments are due. Definition of 'Debt' An amount of money borrowed by one party from another. Many corporations/individuals use debt as a method for making large purchases that they could not afford under normal circumstances. A debt arrangement gives the borrowing party permission to borrow money under the condition that it is to be paid back at a later date, usually with interest. Bonds, loans and commercial paper are all examples of debt. For example, a company may look to borrow $1 million so they can buy a certain piece of equipment. In this case, the debt of $1 million will need to be paid back (with interest owing) to the creditor at a later date. Any interest-bearing liability, whether short term or long term. Any lease obligation, whether operating or capital. Equity is a cushion; Debt is a sword; The management of firms which have high cashflows left over each year are more likely to be complacent and inefficient.

The hurdle rate should be higher for riskier projects and reflect the financing mix used - owners funds (equity) or borrowed money (debt) Definition of 'Long-Term Debt' Loans and financial obligations lasting over one year. Long-term debt for a company would include any financing or leasing obligations that are to come due in a greater than 12-month period. Such obligations would include company bond issues or long-term leases that have been capitalized on a firm's balance sheet. In the U.K., long-term debts are known as "long-term loans." Bank loans and financing agreements, in addition to bonds and notes that have maturities greater than one year, would be considered long-term debt. Other securities such as repos and commercial papers would not be long-term debt, because their maturities are typically shorter than one year. Definition of 'Short-Term Debt' An account shown in the current liabilities portion of a company's balance sheet. This account is comprised of any debt incurred by a company that is due within one year. The debt in this account is usually made up of short-term bank loans taken out by a company. The value of this account is very important when determining a company's financial health. If the account is larger than the company's cash and cash equivalents, this suggests that the company may be in poor financial health and does not have enough cash to pay off its short-term debts. Although shortterm debts are due within a year, there may be a portion of the long-term debt included in this account. This portion pertains to payments that must be made on any long-term debt throughout the year. Definition of 'Fixed Interest Rate' An interest rate on a liability, such as a loan or mortgage, that remains fixed either for the entire term of the loan or for part of this term. A fixed interest rate may be attractive to a borrower who

feels that the interest rate might rise over the term of the loan, which would increase his or her interest expense. A fixed interest rate, therefore, avoids the interest rate risk that comes with a floating or variable interest rate, wherein the interest rate payable on a debt obligation depends on a benchmark interest rate or index. While a home buyer in the United States can obtain a mortgage with a fixed interest rate for the full 30year term of his or her mortgage, in Canada, a home buyer can only "lock in" or obtain a fixed interest rate for a maximum of five to seven years of a 25year mortgage. Borrowers are more likely to opt for fixed interest rates during periods of low interest rates, since the opportunity cost, if interest rates go lower, is still much less than during periods of high interest rates.

Definition of 'Floating Interest Rate' An interest rate that is allowed to move up and down with the rest of the market or along with an index. This contrasts with a fixed interest rate, in which the interest rate of a debt obligation stays constant for the duration of the agreement. A floating interest rate can also be referred to as a variable interest rate because it can vary over the duration of the debt obligation. For example, residential mortgages can be obtained with a fixed interest rate, which is static and can't change for the duration of the mortgage agreement, or with a floating interest rate, which changes periodically with the market. In the case of floating interest rates in mortgages, and most other floating rate agreements, the prime lending rate is used as a basis for the floating rate, with the agreement stating that the interest rate charged to the borrower is the prime interest rate plus a certain spread.

Privately-held companies are - no surprise here privately held. This means that, in most cases, the company is owned by the company's founders, management or a group of private investors. A public company, on the other hand, is a company that has sold a portion of itself to the public via an initial public offering of some of its stock, meaning shareholders have claim to part of the company's assets and profits. One of the biggest differences between the two types of companies deals with public disclosure. If it's a public U.S. company, which means it is trading on a U.S. stock exchange, it is typically required to file quarterly earnings reports (among other things) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This information is also made available to shareholders and the public. Private companies, however, are not required to disclose their financial information to anyone since they do not trade stock on a stock exchange. The main advantage public companies have is their ability to tap the financial markets by selling stock (equity) or bonds (debt) to raise capital (i.e. cash) for expansion and projects. The main advantage to private companies is that management doesn't have to answer to stockholders and isn't required to file disclosure statements with the SEC. However, a private company can't dip into the public capital markets and must therefore turn to private funding, which can boost the cost of capital and may limit expansion. It has been said often that private companies seek to minimize the tax bite, while public companies seek to increase profits for shareholders