Answer: c. . Its research and development efforts pay off, and it now has more high-return investment opportunities
Step-by-step explanation:
The dividend payout ratio is simply defined as the part of net income that a company or an organization pays to the stockholders of the company in dividends:
The option that can likely to lead to a decrease in a firm's dividend payout ratio is its research and development efforts pay off, and it now has more high-return investment opportunities.