Purple Sage Producers Inc. is an oil drilling company and has some free cash flow that is not expected to be used to finance future growth or potential investment projects. The company plans to distribute its free cash flow to its shareholders but is still deciding whether the distribution should take the form of a stock repurchase or the payment of a cash dividend. Which of the following is a characteristic of a firm's optimal dividend policy? It maximizes the firm's return on equity. It maximizes the firm's total assets. It maximizes the firm's stock price. It maximizes the firm's earnings per share. Which of the following statements is true? Taxes on dividend income are paid when the stock is sold. Taxes on dividend income are paid in the year that they are received. As a result, the U.S. tax code encourages many individual investors to prefer to receive Another firm, called Robbem Power \& Water, an established public utility company, has been paying dividends for the past 20 years. This year Robbem also announced that it will increase its dividends by 10%. Which class of investors is more likely to be pleased by Robbem's dividend announcement? Investors with high tax rates who don't depend on current dividend income for living expenses Investors with low tax rates who depend on current dividend income for living expenses A firm's dividend policy determines its current clientele of investors