24. Investor choice (S16-4) People often convey the idea behind MM’s Proposition 1 by various supermarket analogies, for example, “The value of a pie should not depend on how it is sliced,” or, “The cost of a whole chicken should equal the cost of assembling one by buying two drumsticks, two wings, two breasts, and so on.”

Actually Proposition 1 doesn’t work in the supermarket. You’ll pay less for an uncut whole pie than for a pie assembled from pieces purchased separately. Supermarkets charge more for chickens after they are cut up. Why? What costs or imperfections cause Proposition 1 to fail Chapter 16 Does Debt Policy Matter? 483 in the supermarket? Are these costs or imperfections likely to be important for corporations issuing securities on the U.S. or world capital markets? Explain.