Question

What are the two risk components that determine a firm's cost of equity?

Answer 1

Traditionally, the formulas used to express a firm's cost of equity are the dividend capitalization model and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM).

Explanation:

Generally, two risk components determine a firm's cost of equity. The first is the systematic risk associated with the broader equity market. All firms are exposed to this risk, and it cannot be mitigated through diversification.

The second risk component is the unsystematic risk associated with the firm in question. This risk, often reflected as beta, a measure of the stock's volatility in relation to the volatility of the broader market, can be mitigated via diversification.