In examining investors’ preferences for dividends, it is useful to begin with the concept of dividend irrelevance. Dividend irrelevance suggests that in a world with no taxes or brokerage (or transaction) costs, firms and investors are indifferent to the paying or receiving of dividends. However, as these restrictions are relaxed, various factors suggest that firms should pursue high or low payouts. One such factor is:

There are three factors that can affect the shape of the treasury yield curve (r* t , ip t , and mrp t ) and five factors that can affect the shape of the corporate yield curve (r* t , ip t , mrp t , drp t , and lp t ). the yield curve reflects the aggregation of the impacts from these factors. suppose the real risk-free rate and inflation rate are expected to remain at their current levels throughout the foreseeable future. consider all factors that affect the yield curve. then identify which of the following shapes that the us treasury yield curve can take. check all that apply. a. downward-sloping yield curveb. upward-sloping yield curvec. inverted yield curve