West Central plc has been quoted on the London Stock Exchange for 10 years. Analysis of data from the last 10 years suggests that the company has an equity beta of 1.20. The company has 60 % of equity and 40 % of debt. The current market value of West Central plc is $ 100 million. The company is going to undertake a project that has a similar beta to its average assets. The project is expected to be financed entirely by equity. As a result of this financing option and the undertaking of the project, the company will have 70 % of equity and 30 % of debt measured at market values. The risk-free rate is expected to be 5 % per annum and the market is expected to return 10 % per annum. West Central plc pays corporate tax at 40 %. The company's debt is thought to be risk-free. a ) Calculate the company's beta before the proposed project. b) Calculate the company's market value after the proposed project and the financing option. c) Calculate the Net Present Value of the project. d) Calculate the company's beta after the project. e) Advise the management if the project should be funded entirely by equity. What further information would you seek before you finalize your advice?
Cost of Capital
Shareholders and investors who invest into the capital of the firm desire to have a suitable return on their investment funding. The cost of capital reflects what shareholders expect. It is a discount rate for converting expected cash flow into present cash flow.
Capital Structure
Capital structure is the combination of debt and equity employed by an organization in order to take care of its operations. It is an important concept in corporate finance and is expressed in the form of a debt-equity ratio.
Weighted Average Cost of Capital
The Weighted Average Cost of Capital is a tool used for calculating the cost of capital for a firm wherein proportional weightage is assigned to each category of capital. It can also be defined as the average amount that a firm needs to pay its stakeholders and for its security to finance the assets. The most commonly used sources of capital include common stocks, bonds, long-term debts, etc. The increase in weighted average cost of capital is an indicator of a decrease in the valuation of a firm and an increase in its risk.
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