Coupon Rate 7 Percent, Average Tax Rate 32%, Price Of Common

coupon Rate 7 Percentaverage Tax Rate 32price Of Common Stock

1. Coupon rate = 7 percent

Average tax rate = 32%

Price of common stock = $80

Price of preferred stock = $50

Bond yield risk premium = 7%

Return of the market = 12%

Marginal tax rate = 35%

Common stock dividend (Do) = $6

Preferred stock dividend (Do) = $4

Growth rate of common stock dividend = 6%

Risk-free rate of return = 6%

Beta = 1.2

According to the information given, what is the cost of equity using the capital asset pricing model? A. 14.4 percent B. 12 percent C. 13.95 percent D. 13.2 percent

2. A firm should reject an investment if the internal rate of return on the investment is A. less than the interest rate. B. greater than the interest rate. C. less than the cost of capital. D. greater than the cost of capital.

3. Which of the following statements about retained earnings is correct? A. Retained earnings are the firm's cheapest source of funds. B. Retained earnings have the same cost as new shares of stock. C. Retained earnings are cheaper than the cost of new shares. D. Retained earnings have no cost.

4. The internal rate of return and net present value methods of capital budgeting assume that the cash flows are reinvested at the A. cost of capital for NPV and the internal rate of return for IRR. B. cost of capital for IRR and the internal rate of return for NPV. C. internal rate of return. D. cost of capital.

5. NPV may be preferred to IRR because A. NPV excludes salvage value. B. IRR makes more conservative assumptions concerning reinvesting. C. NPV makes more conservative assumptions concerning reinvesting. D. IRR excludes salvage value.

6. A firm has two investment opportunities. Each investment costs $2,000, and the firm's cost of capital is 8 percent. The cash flows of each investment are as follows: Cash Flow of Investment A Year 1: $1800 Year 2: $600 Year 3: $500 Year 4: $400 Cash Flow of Investment B Year 1: $900 Year 2: $900 Year 3: $900 Year 4: $900 According to the information, the NPV for Investment B is A. $1,600. B. $2,980. C. $980. D. $3,600.

7. Which of the following statements about the cost of debt is correct? A. The cost of debt is greater than the cost of preferred stock. B. The cost of debt is greater than the cost of equity. C. The cost of debt is less than the cost of equity. D. The cost of debt is equal to the firm's interest rate.

8. Coupon rate = 7 percent Average tax rate = 32% Price of common stock = $80 Price of preferred stock = $50 Bond yield risk premium = 7% Return of the market = 12% Marginal tax rate = 35% Common stock dividend (Do) = $6 Preferred stock dividend (Do) = $4 Growth rate of common stock dividend = 6% Risk-free rate of return = 6% Beta = 1.2 According to the information given, what is the cost of preferred stock? A. 8 percent B. 12 percent C. 9 percent D. 10 percent

9. Coupon rate = 7 percent Average tax rate = 32% Price of common stock = $80 Price of preferred stock = $50 Bond yield risk premium = 7% Return of the market = 12% Marginal tax rate = 35% Common stock dividend (Do) = $6 Preferred stock dividend (Do) = $4 Growth rate of common stock dividend = 6% Risk-free rate of return = 6% Beta = 1.2 According to the information given, what is the cost of equity using the bond yield plus risk premium method? A. 13.2 percent B. 12 percent C. 13.95 percent D. 14 percent

10. Which of the following statements about the marginal cost of capital is correct? A. The marginal cost of capital is a firm's cost of debt and equity finance. B. The marginal cost of capital refers to the cost of additional funds. C. The marginal cost of capital declines as flotation costs alter equity financing. D. The marginal cost of capital is constant once the optimal capital structure is determined.

11. The lower the debt ratio, the A. lower is the use of financial leverage. B. higher is the use of financial leverage. C. higher are the firm's total assets. D. lower are the firm's total assets.

12. If the net present values of two mutually exclusive investments are positive, a firm should select A. both investments. B. the investment with the higher net present value. C. the investment with the higher present value. D. neither investment.

13. A firm should make an investment if the present value of the cash inflows on the investment is A. greater than zero. B. less than zero. C. greater than the cost of the investment. D. less than the cost of the investment.

14. If the internal rates of return of two mutually exclusive investments exceed the firm's cost of capital, the firm should make A. both investments. B. the investment with the higher IRR. C. the investment with the lower IRR. D. neither investment.

15. Coupon rate = 7 percent Average tax rate = 32% Price of common stock = $80 Price of preferred stock = $50 Bond yield risk premium = 7% Return of the market = 12% Marginal tax rate = 35% Common stock dividend (Do) = $6 Preferred stock dividend (Do) = $4 Growth rate of common stock dividend = 6% Risk-free rate of return = 6% Beta = 1.2 According to the information given, what is the cost of equity using the expected growth method? A. 13.95 percent B. 14.4 percent C. 12 percent D. 13.2 percent

16. An increase of cost of capital will A. increase an investment's IRR. B. Increase an investment's NPV. C. decrease an investment's NPV. D. decrease an investment's IRR.

17. The net present value of an investment will be higher if A. the cost of capital is higher. B. there's no salvage value. C. the cost of the investment is lower. D. a firm uses straight-line depreciation.

18. Coupon rate = 7 percent Average tax rate = 32% Price of common stock = $80 Price of preferred stock = $50 Bond yield risk premium = 7% Return of the market = 12% Marginal tax rate = 35% Common stock dividend (Do) = $6 Preferred stock dividend (Do) = $4 Growth rate of common stock dividend = 6% Risk-free rate of return = 6% Beta = 1.2 According to the information given, what is the cost of debt? A. 2.45 percent B. 7.0 percent C. 4.55 percent D. 6.25 percent

19. A firm has two investment opportunities. Each investment costs $2,000, and the firm's cost of capital is 8 percent. The cash flows of each investment are as follows: Cash Flow of Investment A Year 1: $1800 Year 2: $600 Year 3: $500 Year 4: $400 Cash Flow of Investment B Year 1: $900 Year 2: $900 Year 3: $900 Year 4: $900 Based on the information, if the investments are independent, the firm should select A. all investments with an IRR that's less than 8 percent. B. all investments with an IRR that's greater than 8 percent. C. only one investment if the IRR is greater than 8 percent. D. the higher IRR investment.

20. Which of the following statements best explains why a rising ratio of debt-to-total assets increases the cost of debt? A. As total assets decline in relation to a stable debt level, equity declines. B. If debt remains constant while the ratio increases, rising assets must be finance with more expensive equity financing. C. As the ratio increases, creditors require higher interest rates to compensate them for higher default risk. D. As debt increases, the contribution of more expensive equity financing decreases.

Paper For Above instruction

The provided questions encompass fundamental concepts of corporate finance, especially focusing on cost of capital, investment appraisal, capital budgeting, and financial leverage. These are essential for any financial manager or investor aiming to make informed decisions to optimize firm value and manage financial risk.

Introduction

Understanding the cost of capital is central to financial decision-making. It serves as a benchmark for evaluating investment opportunities, determining the appropriate hurdle rate, and optimizing the firm's capital structure. Various methods such as the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), bond yield plus risk premium, and expected growth rate models are employed to estimate the cost of equity. Similarly, the cost of debt and preferred stock are critical components of a firm’s overall weighted average cost of capital (WACC). This essay elucidates these concepts, interprets the implications of leverage and investment evaluation, and discusses strategic considerations for optimal financial management.

Cost of Equity: CAPM and Growth Methods

The Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) estimates the cost of equity by considering the risk-free rate, the market risk premium, and the stock’s beta, which measures its sensitivity to market fluctuations. Given the input data of a risk-free rate of 6%, beta of 1.2, and a market return of 12%, the CAPM yields a cost of equity as follows:

Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate + Beta Market Risk Premium = 6% + 1.2 (12% - 6%) = 6% + 7.2% = 13.2%.

The expected growth method, an extension of the Gordon Growth Model, calculates the cost of equity by adding the dividend yield to the growth rate of dividends: (Dividend / Price) + Growth Rate. With a dividend (Do) of $6, stock price of $80, and growth of 6%, the formula is:

Cost of Equity = ($6 / $80) + 6% = 7.5% + 6% = 13.5%. This is close to the CAPM estimate, underscoring the consistency of these methods.

Cost of Preferred Stock

The cost of preferred stock is computed as the dividend divided by the market price: (Dividend / Price). Given a preferred dividend of $4 and a price of $50, the cost of preferred stock is:

Cost of Preferred Stock = $4 / $50 = 8%. However, considering taxes, the after-tax cost remains unaffected since preferred dividends are paid out of after-tax earnings, but for valuation purposes, the pre-tax cost is standard.

Thus, the most accurate choice with the data provided is:

Answer: 8 percent (Option A).

Bond Yield Plus Risk Premium and Cost of Debt

The bond yield plus risk premium method involves adding a risk premium to the firm's existing bonds’ yield to reflect the additional risk of new debt issues. With a bond yield of 7% and a risk premium of 7%, the cost of debt is:

Pre-tax cost of debt = 7% + 7% = 14%. Adjusting for tax shield benefits at the marginal tax rate of 35%, the after-tax cost of debt is:

After-tax cost = 14% * (1 - 0.35) = 9.1%. The closest answer provided is D (6.25%), but if precise calculations are conducted, it should approximate 9.1%, so select the option that best aligns with typical calculation methods, which suggests that D (6.25%) is not accurate. Nevertheless, based on the given answers, the most plausible is D.

Investment Appraisal and Capital Budgeting

Decision rules such as NPV and IRR are fundamental in capital budgeting. The NPV method discounts future cash flows at the firm’s cost of capital, providing the net value added by an investment. IRR, on the other hand, is the discount rate that equates the present value of inflows and outflows.

When comparing mutually exclusive investments, the investment with the higher NPV or IRR should be selected, assuming positive NPVs. In the case where NPVs are positive, the firm should choose the project with the greatest NPV or IRR exceeding the cost of capital. The calculations for NPVs of given cash flows at an 8% cost of capital typically show that higher cash flows earlier yield higher NPVs.

Leverage and Cost Implications

Financial leverage, indicated by the debt ratio, impacts the firm's risk profile and hence the cost of debt. As the debt ratio increases, lenders perceive higher risk, necessitating higher interest rates. This raises the firm's overall cost of debt, leading to higher WACC, which influences investment decisions.

Conversely, a lower debt ratio indicates less leverage, leading to lower risk premiums and lower costs of debt. These financial strategies are vital for optimizing capital structure to balance risk and return.

Conclusion

In sum, evaluating the cost of capital accurately is crucial for making sound investment and financing decisions. The methods discussed, including CAPM, growth models, and bond yield premiums, provide comprehensive insights into the cost components. Sound understanding of leverage effects and valuation rules ensures effective management of corporate finances aimed at maximizing shareholder value. Future financial strategies should consider evolving market conditions and risk factors to maintain optimal capital efficiency and competitive advantage.

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