At Litchfield Chemical Corp. (LCC), a director of the company said that the use of dividend discount models by investors is “proof” that the higher the dividend, the higher the stock price.

a. Using a constant-growth dividend discount model as a basis of reference, evaluate the director’s statement.

b. Explain how an increase in dividend payout would affect each of the following (holding all other factors constant):

i. Sustainable growth rate.

ii. Growth in book value.