a) Increasing financial leverage can increase both the cost of debt and the cost of equity. How can the overall cost of capital stay unchanged in this situation? Assume there is no income tax paid by the firm. b) In (a) above, why should the value of the firm remain unchanged when the capital structure changes? Explain carefully. c) A share of stock with a beta of .75 now sells for $50. The investors expect the stock to pay a year-end dividend of $2. The Treasury bill rate is 4%, and the market risk premium is 7%. If the stock price is perceived to be fair today, what must be the investors’ expectation for the price of the stock at the end of the year
5. Answer all questions:
a) Increasing financial leverage can increase both the cost of debt and the
b) In (a) above, why should the value of the firm remain unchanged when the capital structure changes? Explain carefully.
c) A share of stock with a beta of .75 now sells for $50. The investors expect the stock to pay a year-end dividend of $2. The Treasury bill rate is 4%, and the market risk premium is 7%. If the stock price is perceived to be fair today, what must be the investors’ expectation for the price of the stock at the end of the year? [Hint: at what rate should the stock price change annually?]
d) XYZ borrows $800 million at an interest rate of 7.6%. Prior to this borrowing, it was an all-equity firm. It expects to maintain this debt level indefinitely. XYZ pays taxes at an effective rate of 37%. By how is the market value of XYZ expected to change because of the borrowing? [Hint: Tax shield?]
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