If management wants to maximize its stock price, and if it believes that the dividend irrelevance theory is correct, then it must adhere to the residual dividend policy.

True or False.

The correct answer is False.

Explanation:

This statement is false, since the residual theory of dividends argues that these are irrelevant, that is, that the value of the company is not affected by its dividend policy. The main drivers of this theory are Modigliani and Miller. Both authors affirm that the value of the company is determined solely by the profitability and the degree of risk of its assets (investments), and that the way in which the organization divides its income between dividends and reinvestment does not have a direct effect on its value.

However, some studies show that significant changes in dividends affect the price of shares in the same direction, that is, increases in dividends translate into increases in stock prices, and vice versa. In response, M and M propose that the positive effects of dividend increases be attributed, not to the dividend itself, but to the informational content of dividends with respect to future income. Thus, any increase in dividends would cause investors to raise the price of the shares, while a decrease would cause a corresponding decrease in the price of the shares.