What is Wealth Maximisation? Learn Differences with Profit Maximisation

The most important goal for any business is to make as much money as possible. If you’re a shareholder who owns part of that business, that’s what you want too. When you invest in a company, you have two main wishes. First, you want to earn a good profit, and second, you want to make sure the money you put in stays safe. Wealth maximisation helps in achieving both of these things. In Wealth management, wealth maximisation is a strategy that keeps the shareholders happy by helping them make more money from their investments and protecting the money they’ve already put into the company. It’s a win-win for both the company and its shareholders. 

Let’s dig deeper into the concept of wealth maximisation, understand what it is, how it is different from profit maximisation, and what the advantages of this approach are.

What is Wealth Maximisation?

So what is wealth maximisation exactly? Well, wealth maximisation in financial management is a strategy that aims to boost profits while also considering the interests of the shareholders involved. It helps make the shareholders richer by increasing the company’s share price, which in turn makes the company more competitive, helps it grow, and generates more profits. 

You can grasp the idea behind this approach by understanding that a business isn’t just about making quick profits. Wealth maximisation is primarily focused on creating lasting value for the long term. It also takes into account the time value of money which means that money today is more valuable than the same amount in the future because it can earn interest. So decisions that maximise the returns for shareholders over time are made.

By making choices that boost the company’s value, it aims to keep the business growing and going strong for a long time.

Also Read: 5 Safe Ideas of Wealth Creation for Safe Investment

Example of Wealth Maximisation

Let’s take a look at a wealth maximisation example so you can understand the concept better. Consider a company with various investment opportunities. The company’s management has to decide which investment projects to undertake to maximise shareholder wealth. Now let’s suppose they consider two approaches:

The company can decide to invest in a project that generates quick and high profits but has limited long-term potential. While the short-term profits are impressive, the value of the company may not increase very much in the long run. On the other hand, the company decides to invest in a project that promises moderate initial profits but has the potential for sustained growth and value creation over time. 

The first approach is profit maximisation and the second approach is wealth maximisation. In the wealth maximisation approach, notice how the company willingly sacrificed short-term gains in order to prioritise long term growth. The company’s focus is on the future and increasing the shareholders’ overall wealth.

This wealth maximisation can happen through stock value appreciation or through dividends. As a shareholder, your investment becomes more valuable over time, either because the company’s stock price increases or because the company pays you dividends, or in the best case, both. This is what makes shareholders happy and keeps their wealth growing.

Also Read: ELSS Funds: a Combination of Both Wealth Creation & Tax Saving

Benefits of Wealth Maximisation

There are many advantages of Wealth Maximisation:

• It is sustainable in the long run. Keeping wealth maximisation in mind, a company can ensure that the decisions it takes are aligned with long-term growth and value creation, which promotes the sustainability of the business.

• It creates value for shareholders as it directly benefits them by increasing the value of their investments. When a business is profitable, it can attract more investors and raise the stock prices, thus creating a positive environment.

• It considers the importance of the time value of money. This means that businesses can pay higher wages to their owners and invest in things like research and development. This helps a business stay afloat, even during tough times.

• Since companies following the wealth maximisation approach often invest in research and development, technology advancements and innovations can help them gain a competitive edge in the market.
• It is a practical and doable approach. By focusing on the long-term, companies can diversify their investments and reduce the risks associated with depending on a single profitable venture.
• By considering not just short-term gains but also long-term consequences, wealth maximisation encourages a more comprehensive evaluation of investment opportunities. It provides smart guidelines for using resources effectively.
• A company that prioritises wealth maximisation is also often viewed favourably by stakeholders, including customers, employees, and the community, which can help its reputation.
• It prioritises precise and clear cash flows. It focuses on the actual money coming in and going out and by doing so it minimises uncertainties related to accounting methods and estimates. Overall this leads to better decision making. 

Difference Between Wealth Maximisation and Profit Maximisation

Wealth Maximisation can be easily confused with Profit Maximisation, after all, both aim to generate wealth. Even though they share this goal of creating more money, their primary focus and the methods they use are different. This makes it important for you to know the difference between profit and wealth maximisation. 

Wealth Maximisation	Profit Maximisation
Wealth maximisation means making a company more valuable to make shareholders’ shares worth more.	Profit maximisation means trying to make as much money as possible in a short time by finding smart ways to balance the costs and earnings.
The primary goal of wealth maximisation is to increase the overall value of the company and benefit the shareholders.	The primary goal of profit maximisation is to maximise short-term profits.
It focuses on the long term.	It focuses on the short-term.
It enhances shareholder value over time.	Profit maximisation leads to fluctuations in stock prices.
Since it focuses on the long term, wealth maximisation encourages strategic investments.	Due to its short-term focus, profit maximisation prioritises cost cutting and immediate profit generation.
This approach diversifies investments and lowers risk over time.	This approach usually overlooks risk in the long-term.
Wealth maximisation considers how your company’s dividend policy affects the market price of its shares.	This approach doesn’t take into account how a company’s dividend policy affects the market price of its shares.
When making decisions, it takes into account the interests of the shareholders.	Shareholders’ interests are neglected when making decisions.
Wealth maximisation is a modern approach.	Traditionally, profit maximisation was more prevalent in businesses.

Conclusion

More and more companies are recognising the merits of wealth maximisation, as it focuses on long-term growth and creates value. If you want to make sure that you’re making well-informed decisions that benefit not only your bottom line but also your stakeholders, consider consulting a financial planner who can help you implement wealth maximisation strategies. It is a modern approach and with an experienced expert by your side, you can thrive and prosper.