Estimating the Weighted Average Cost of Capital Kellogg Company manufactures cereal and other convenience food under its many well-known brands such as Kellogg’s®, Keebler®, and Cheez-It®. The company, with over $13.5 billion in annual sales worldwide, partially finances its operation through the issuance of debt. At the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year, it had $8.25 billion in total debt. At the end of fiscal year 2018, its total debt had increased to $8.72 billion. Its fiscal 2018 interest expense was $287 million, and its assumed statutory tax rate was 21%. Kellogg Company has an estimated market beta of 0.85. Assume that the expected risk-free rate is 2.1% and the expected market premium is 5%. Kellogg’s stock closed at $57.01 on December 31, 2018. On that same date, the company had 420,666,780 shares issued, of which 76,801,314 shares were in treasury. a. What is Kellogg’s total market capitalization as of December 31, 2018? Enter answer in billions, rounding to one decimal place. $Answer billion b. Compute Kellogg’s WACC. Use your rounded answer above for computation. Round answer to two decimal places (ex: 0.02345 = 2.35%). Answer%
Estimating the Weighted Average Cost of Capital
Kellogg Company manufactures cereal and other convenience food under its many well-known brands such as Kellogg’s®, Keebler®, and Cheez-It®. The company, with over $13.5 billion in annual sales worldwide, partially finances its operation through the issuance of debt. At the beginning of its 2018 fiscal year, it had $8.25 billion in total debt. At the end of fiscal year 2018, its total debt had increased to $8.72 billion. Its fiscal 2018 interest expense was $287 million, and its assumed statutory tax rate was 21%. Kellogg Company has an estimated market beta of 0.85. Assume that the expected risk-free rate is 2.1% and the expected market premium is 5%.
Kellogg’s stock closed at $57.01 on December 31, 2018. On that same date, the company had 420,666,780 shares issued, of which 76,801,314 shares were in treasury.
a. What is Kellogg’s total market capitalization as of December 31, 2018?
Enter answer in billions, rounding to one decimal place.
$Answer billion
b. Compute Kellogg’s WACC.
Use your rounded answer above for computation.
Round answer to two decimal places (ex: 0.02345 = 2.35%).
Answer%
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