CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. corporations companies are grappling with how best to deploy excess cash, balancing the need to maximize shareholder value while also increasing capital spending, according to a new Fitch Ratings report.
Fitch's analysis is based on a compilation of public comments on cash deployment and possible shareholder-friendly activities among 15 companies in the energy, chemical and mining/basic material industries. The report provides each of the companies' statements.
While corporate managements share the overarching goal of maximizing shareholder value, the tactical question of how to use cash flow to best achieve that goal continues to lack a fixed answer. For most management teams, this has meant striking a balance between reinvestment in the business and return of capital to shareholders.
Slower global growth and reduced speculative demand have resulted in a pullback for a number of commodity prices, including oil, most base metals, steel and steel raw materials, and select agricultural products. A scenario of softer demand and moderation in prices for key commodities would underscore the need to choose among competing uses of cash, potentially reducing investments in growth, payouts, or other initiatives, or changes in balance sheet leverage. Fitch notes that while a number of regular dividends were cut in the last downturn, commitments to regular dividends tend to be relatively inconsistent.
The full report 'Cash Deployment in a Slower Growth Environment' is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'.
Additional information is available at 'www.fitchratings.com'.
Applicable Criteria and Related Research: Cash Deployment in a Slower Growth Environment (What U.S. Corporates Are Saying)
http://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/reports/report_frame.cfm?rpt_id=698835
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