Which one of the following actions by a financial manager is most apt to create an agency problem? Increasing current profits when doing so lowers the value of the company's equity Refusing to expand the company if doing so will lower the value of the equity Refusing to lower selling prices if doing so will reduce the net profits Agreeing to pay bonuses based on the market value of the company's stock rather than on its level of sales Refusing to borrow money when doing so will create losses for the firm

Increasing current profits when doing so lowers the value of the company's equity.

Explanation:

The main purpose of a company is to increase the wealth of shareholders. In their capacity as stewards for the company, managers should be working therefore to achieve this goal.

When management neglects this goal and begins to seek an improvement in their welfare and wealth instead of the shareholder', this is an Agency problem.

If a Financial manager is increasing current profits even though doing so will lower the value of the company's equity, this can create an agency problem because the shareholders are suffering but the finance manager might get rewarded for increasing profits.