Firms will most likely borrow money for investment when (LO6) a) interest rates are low b) interest rates are high c) the interest rate is higher than the expected profit rate d) the expected profit rate is higher than the interest rate

Short Answer

Expert verified
Firms will most likely borrow money for investment when the expected profit rate is higher than the interest rate (option d), as this situation allows them to maximize profits and minimize borrowing costs.

Step by step solution

01

Recall the impact of interest rates on borrowing decisions

Low interest rates make it cheaper for firms to borrow money, which increases their willingness to take on investments. High interest rates, on the other hand, make borrowing more expensive, which may discourage firms from investing. The comparison between the interest rate and the expected profit rate is also important, as firms will want to invest in projects that generate profits that are greater than the cost of borrowing.
02

Analyze Each Option

a) Interest rates are low: Firms might be more likely to borrow money for investment because the cost of borrowing is lower, increasing the potential for their profit to be greater than the interest rate. b) Interest rates are high: Firms might be less likely to borrow money for investment because the cost of borrowing is higher, decreasing the potential for their profit to be greater than the interest rate. c) The interest rate is higher than the expected profit rate: Firms will be less likely to borrow money for investment since the cost of borrowing will be higher than the return they expect to receive from their investment. d) The expected profit rate is higher than the interest rate: Firms will be more likely to borrow money for investment since the return they expect to receive from their investment is greater than the cost of borrowing.
03

Choose the correct answer

Based on our analysis, we can conclude that firms are most likely to borrow money for investment when option (d) the expected profit rate is higher than the interest rate. This makes sense because firms want to maximize profits and minimize costs, so they will borrow money when the return on investment (profit) is higher than the cost of borrowing (interest rate).

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