Percentages need to be entered in decimal format, for instance 3% would be entered as .03. Ezzell Enterprises has the following capital structure, which it considers to be optimal under present and forecasted conditions: Debt (long-term only) ratio - 45% Common equity - 55% Total liabilities and equity - 100% For the coming year, management expects after-tax earning of $2.5 million.  Ezzell's past dividend policy of paying out 60% of earnings will continue.  Present commitments from its bankers will allow Ezzell to borrow according to the following schedule:     Loan Amount Interest Rate $1 to $500,000 9% on this increment of debt $500,001 to $900,000 11% on this increment of debt $900,001 and above 13% on this increment of debt The company's marginal tax rate is 40%, the current market price of its stock is $22 per share, its last dividend was $2.20 per share, and the expected growth rate is 5%.  External equity (new common) can be sold at a flotation cost of 10%.     Project Cost Annual cash flows Project life Expected return 1 $675,000 $155,401 8 years 16% 2 $900,000 $268,484 5 years 15% 3 $375,000 $161,524 3 years 14% 4 $562,500 $185,194 4 years 12% 5 $750,000 $127,351 10 years 11% Management asks you to help determine which projects (if any) should be undertaken.  You proceed with this analysis by answering the following questions (or performing the tasks) as posed.  (This information is shown on the spreadsheet provided.) How many breaks are there in the MCC schedule?  At what dollar amounts do the breaks occur, and what causes them - debt or retained earnings?  (Refer to Rows 44 -48 on the worksheet.)  What is the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) in each of the intervals between the breaks?  (Refer to the Key Output area in Columns D-F at the top of the worksheet.) Which projects should Ezzell's management accept?  (Refer to the Optimal Capital Budget beginning on Row 93 to see which projects are listed, meaning they should be accepted.) The problem stated that Ezzell pays out 60% of its earnings as dividends.  Which project(s) should management accept if the dividend payout ratio were changed to 0%?  Which project(s) should management accept if the dividend payout ratio were changed to 100%?  (Refer again to the Optimal Capital Budget beginning on row 93.) Now assume the dividend payout ration is back to 60%, but the debt ratio has increased to 65%.  This caused all interest rates rd (Column C, Rows 29-31) to rise by one percentage point to 10%, 12%, and 14% respectively, and the growth rate to increase from 5% to 6%.  Examine what happens to the MCC schedule and identify which project(s) management should accept.  (Refer again to the Optimal Capital Budget section.) Assume the same figures as in Question 4, but suppose Ezzell's marginal tax rate (Column C, Row 20) falls to 20%.  Examine what happens to the MCC schedule and identify which project(s) management should accept.  Suppose the marginal tax rate falls to 0%, examine what happens to the MCC schedule and identify which project(s) management should accept.  (Refer again to the Optimal Capital Budget section.)

Percentages need to be entered in decimal format, for instance 3% would be entered as .03.

Ezzell Enterprises has the following capital structure, which it considers to be optimal under present and forecasted conditions:

• Debt (long-term only) ratio - 45%
• Common equity - 55%
• Total liabilities and equity - 100%

For the coming year, management expects after-tax earning of $2.5 million.  Ezzell's past dividend policy of paying out 60% of earnings will continue.  Present commitments from its bankers will allow Ezzell to borrow according to the following schedule:  

The company's marginal tax rate is 40%, the current market price of its stock is $22 per share, its last dividend was $2.20 per share, and the expected growth rate is 5%.  External equity (new common) can be sold at a flotation cost of 10%.  

Management asks you to help determine which projects (if any) should be undertaken.  You proceed with this analysis by answering the following questions (or performing the tasks) as posed.  (This information is shown on the spreadsheet provided.)

1. How many breaks are there in the MCC schedule?  At what dollar amounts do the breaks occur, and what causes them - debt or retained earnings?  (Refer to Rows 44 -48 on the worksheet.)  What is the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) in each of the intervals between the breaks?  (Refer to the Key Output area in Columns D-F at the top of the worksheet.)
2. Which projects should Ezzell's management accept?  (Refer to the Optimal Capital Budget beginning on Row 93 to see which projects are listed, meaning they should be accepted.)
3. The problem stated that Ezzell pays out 60% of its earnings as dividends.  Which project(s) should management accept if the dividend payout ratio were changed to 0%?  Which project(s) should management accept if the dividend payout ratio were changed to 100%?  (Refer again to the Optimal Capital Budget beginning on row 93.)
4. Now assume the dividend payout ration is back to 60%, but the debt ratio has increased to 65%.  This caused all interest rates r_d (Column C, Rows 29-31) to rise by one percentage point to 10%, 12%, and 14% respectively, and the growth rate to increase from 5% to 6%.  Examine what happens to the MCC schedule and identify which project(s) management should accept.  (Refer again to the Optimal Capital Budget section.)
5. Assume the same figures as in Question 4, but suppose Ezzell's marginal tax rate (Column C, Row 20) falls to 20%.  Examine what happens to the MCC schedule and identify which project(s) management should accept.  Suppose the marginal tax rate falls to 0%, examine what happens to the MCC schedule and identify which project(s) management should accept.  (Refer again to the Optimal Capital Budget section.)