Answer: a. Consolidated stockholders’ equity is reduced by $340,000.
Explanation:
Consolidated stockholders' equity is the equity owned by stockholders in the entire parent company of Altgeld and its subsidiaries. Balanger as a company, then buys some of its parent's stock for $340,000.
The effect this will have is to reduce the stock available to stockholders in the parent and the subsidiaries almost like buying treasury shares. Consolidated stockholders' equity will therefore reduce by the amount paid for the shares of $340,000.