CHAPTER ONE

1.1     GENERAL INTRODUCTION

A Corporation, Private or Public need capital to enable it achieves its objectives.  Capital structure implies the nature and proportion of elements, which go to make up the capital invested in a business corporations that are in need of funds exchange their financial instruments for the money provided by the intermediaries or direct from savers.  This money the corporations convert to tangible assets as building, land, plant and machinery, motor vehicles etc.  Basically, a corporation uses three main sources of long term and permanent financing viz: common stock, preferred stock and debt financing (bond).  It is the combination of these finances to particular firm that is termed capital structure.

There is need for reasonable balance of different types of securities comprising the capital structure of a firm otherwise the firm will deplete its financing ability or finance at sub optimal cost.  In achieving this, the cost of capital is important for it has a major impact on the investment decision and the financing structure of the firm of which affect the riskiness and size of the firm.