WGU Updated Financial-Management Exam Questions and Answers by reeva

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is the primary federal regulator of U.S. securities markets, but it works closely with self-regulatory organizations to oversee market participants. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is the main self-regulatory organization responsible for supervising broker-dealers, enforcing rules, and protecting investors. FINRA operates under SEC oversight, creating a layered regulatory framework that combines government authority with industry-specific expertise. This collaboration enhances market integrity and investor protection. Option C correctly identifies FINRA as the SEC’s primary partner in broker-dealer oversight.

Free cash flow concepts are central to valuation. Free cash flow to the firm (FCFF) represents cash available to all capital providers—both debt and equity—before interest and principal repayments. In contrast, free cash flow to equity (FCFE) measures the cash available exclusively to common shareholders after all operating expenses, capital expenditures, working capital needs, and debt obligations (interest and principal) have been satisfied. This distinction determines which discount rate analysts use: FCFF is discounted at the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), while FCFE is discounted at the cost of equity. FCFE is especially useful when valuing equity directly or when a firm’s leverage is stable and predictable. Option C correctly captures this defining difference, while the other options misstate cash flow allocation or confuse accounting adjustments with distributable cash.

A beta of 1.0 indicates that a stock has the same level of systematic risk as the market portfolio. Under CAPM assumptions, such a stock is expected to move proportionally with the market—rising and falling by similar percentages in response to market-wide changes. Consequently, its expected return equals the market return. This does not imply identical realized performance in every period, but rather equivalence in expected risk-adjusted performance over time. Financial managers use this benchmark to classify stocks as aggressive (beta > 1), defensive (beta < 1), or market-matching (beta = 1). Option B correctly reflects this CAPM interpretation.

The quick ratio, also known as the acid-test ratio, measures a firm’s ability to meet short-term obligations using its most liquid assets. It is calculated as:

(Cash + Accounts Receivable + Marketable Securities) ÷ Current Liabilities.

For Whole Pine Inc., quick assets include cash of $2,000 and accounts receivable of $500, totaling $2,500. Inventory is excluded because it is less liquid and may not be easily converted into cash. Current liabilities consist of accounts payable of $1,000. Dividing $2,500 by $1,000 yields a quick ratio of 2.50. This indicates that the firm has $2.50 in highly liquid assets for every $1.00 of short-term obligations, suggesting strong short-term liquidity. Option C correctly reflects this calculation and interpretation.