This study examines whether Cost of Capital (COC) impact on the financial performance of listed non-financial firms in Nigeria for the period 2015-2019. Using two-step system Generalised Method of Moments (GMM), the study found a significant and negative impact of COC on financial performance of listed non-financial firms in Nigeria. This is because profitable firms have the opportunity to finance new investments with retained earnings rather than through a new debt and/or equity issuance. Also, raising the debt level of a firm may result in an increase in distress costs, and as such reduces benefits from the tax shield which consequently result in decline in the value of the firm. Thus, the finding of this study is in line with the pecking order theory of capital structure. The findings, which add to the existing knowledge with regard to the impact of COC on financial performance, should be interesting to the providers of finance. This is because the study helps them to make the decision whether or not to invest in these firms. Since they want their money to be invested where there will be maximum return. However, this result only hold for emerging economies like Nigeria where analyst cash flow forecast is difficult to predict. This is due to the underdeveloped nature of the capital market.

The study investigated the effect of ownership structure on tax planning of quoted non-financial companies in Nigeria. It aims to find out the ownership structure that improves tax planning thereby reducing tax liability of the firms. Data for the study were extracted from the annual reports and accounts of the companies for ten years (2008-2017). The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regressions. The study reveals that managerial and institutional ownerships have no significant positive effect on tax planning, while foreign ownership demonstrates no significant negative effect. Profitability measured using return on assets has a significant positive effect on tax planning of the sampled companies, and leverage shows a no significant negative effect. The findings imply that management-owned companies have fewer incentives to reduce tax, and there is a relationship in the attitude of management and institutional investors towards tax planning of the selected companies. In order to reduce the level of principal-agent conflicts, and to enhance tax planning and monitoring of management activities, the listed non-financial companies in Nigeria should encourage managerial shareholding.

Financial management aims at maximizing shareholders' wealth and this requires financial decision makers balance capital funding between investments in projects that increase the firm's long term profitability and sustainability (value). Thus, the need for examination of the relationship between corporate financing and value of quoted consumer goods companies in Nigeria. Data for the study were collected from annual reports and accounts of the sampled companies for ten years (2009 -2018). Data collected were analyzed using generalized least square (GLS), interpretations were made using ordinary least square in line with the results of Hausman specication test and lagrange multiplier test of random effect. The study reveals that long term debt improves firm value significantly while short term debt has a negative significant effect on value of the selected companies. In addition, paid-up share capital and share premium as equity capital reduce values of the companies as retained earning has a positive significant effect. The findings imply that corporate financing variables have mixed effects on firm value. The study recommends that corporate financial decision makers should employ more of long term debt and retained earnings in financing mix since they impact positively on value of companies.

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