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Nov 24, 2024

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[QUESTION] [Problem 15.7] Cohn and Sitwell, Inc., is considering manufacturing special drill bits and other equipment for oil rigs. The proposed project is currently regarded as complementary to its other lines of business, and the company has certain expertise by virtue of its having a large mechanical engineering staff. Because of the large outlays required to get into the business, management is concerned that Cohn and Sitwell earn a proper return. Since the new venture is believed to be sufficiently different from the company’s existing operations, management feels that a required rate of return other than the company’s present one should be employed. The financial manager’s staff has identified several companies (with capital structures similar to that of Cohn and Sitwell) engaged solely in the manufacture and sale of oildrilling equipment whose common stocks are publicly traded. Over the last five years, the median average beta for these companies has been 1.28. The staff believes that 18 percent is a reasonable estimate of the average return on stocks “in general” for the foreseeable future and that the risk-free rate will be around 12 percent. In financing projects, Cohn and Sitwell uses 40 percent debt and 60 percent equity. The after-tax cost of debt is 8 percent. a. On the basis of this information, determine a required rate of return for the project, using the CAPM approach. b. Is the figure obtained likely to be a realistic estimate of the required rate of return on the project? [ANSWER] a. Cost of equity = 0.12 + (0.18 – 0.12) 1.28 = 19.68 percent Cost of debt = 8 percent (given) Weighted-average required return for the project = 0.4(8%) + 0.6(19.68%) = 15 percent. b. The approach assumes that unsystematic risk is not a factor of importance, which may or may not be the case. It assumes also that the average beta for the oil drilling equipment companies is a good surrogate for the systematic risk of the prospect. Finally, the estimates of the likely return on stocks in general and of the risk-free rate must be
accurate. If these assumptions hold, the figure obtained will be a realistic estimate of the project’s required rate of return.
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