Here is recent financial data on Pisa Construction, Inc.

Pisa has not performed spectacularly to date. However, it wishes to issue new shares to obtain $80,000 to finance expansion into a promising market. Pisa?s financial advisers think a stock issue is a poor choice because, among other reasons, ?sale of stock at a price below book value per share can only depress the stock price and decrease shareholders? wealth.? To prove the point they construct the following example: ?Suppose

2,000 new shares are issued at $40 and the proceeds are invested. (Neglect issue costs.)

Suppose return on investment doesn?t change. Then

Thus, EPS declines, book value per share declines, and share price will decline proportionately to $38.70."

Evaluate this argument with particular attention to the assumptions implicit in the numerical example.

Market value of firm Earnings per share Return on investment Stock price Number of shares Book net worth $40 10,000 $400,000 $4 8% $500,000