Question

Eccles Inc. Eccles Inc., a zero growth firm, has an expected EBIT of $100,000 and a corporate tax rate of 30%. Eccles uses $500,000 of 12.0% debt, and the cost of equity to an unlevered firm in the same risk class is 16.0%. Refer to the data for Eccles Inc. What is the firm's cost of equity according to MM with corporate taxes? a. 25.9% b. 32.0% c. 28.8% d. 21.0% e. 23.3%

Answer 1

Answer:

b) 32%

Explanation:

Formula for calculating cost of equity is given as ;

r levered = r levered + ( debt / equity × ( r unlevered - cost of debt) × ( 1 - tax)

r unlevered is the cost of an unlevered equity = 16.0%

Debt = $500,000

Cost of debt = 12%

Equity = unknown

Firstly, we need to calculate the value of the firm and the formula is denoted by;

EBIT ( 1 - tax ) / Unlevered cost of equity + ( debt × tax )

= $100,000 ( 1 - 30% ) / 16% + ( $500,000 × 30% )

= $100,000 ( 0.7 ) /0.16 + $30,000

= $437,500 + $150,000

= $587,500

r levered = 16% + ( $500,000 / ( $587,500 - $500,000 ) × ( 16% - 12% ) × ( 1 - 30%)

= 0.16 + ( $500,000 / 87,500 ) × 0.04 × ( 0.7 )

= 0.16 + 5.71 × 0.04 × 0.7

= 32%