Question

Locomotive Corporation is planning to repurchase part of its common stock by issuing corporate debt. As a result, the firm’s debt–equity ratio is expected to rise from 30 percent to 50 percent. The firm currently has $3.3 million worth of debt outstanding. The cost of this debt is 9 percent per year. Locomotive expects to have an EBIT of $1.32 million per year in perpetuity. Locomotive pays no taxes.
a. What is the market value of Locomotive Corporation before and after the repurchase announcement?
b. What is the expected return on the firm’s equity before the announcement of the stock repurchase plan?
c. What is the expected return on the equity of an otherwise identical all-equity firm?
d. What is the expected return on the firm’s equity after the announcement of the stock repurchase plan?

Answer 1

Answer: See explanation

Explanation:

a. What is the market value of Locomotive Corporation before and after the repurchase announcement?

Equity value = Debt value / Debt to equity ratio

= 3,300,000/0.3

= 11,000,000

Market value = Debt value + Equity value

= $3,300,000 + $11,000,000

= $14,300,000

b. What is the expected return on the firm’s equity before the announcement of the stock repurchase plan?

To solve this, we need to know the interest payment first which will be:

= $3,300,000 × 9%

= $3,300,000 × 0.09

= $297000

Return on equity will now be:

= (EBIT - interest) / Equity

= (1320000 - 297000) / 11000000

= 9.30%

c. What is the expected return on the equity of an otherwise identical all-equity firm?

This will be:

= Earnings before Interest / Unlevered firm value

= 1320000 / 14300000

= 9.23%

d. What is the expected return on the firm’s equity after the announcement of the stock repurchase plan?

This will be:

= 9.23% + 50% × (9.23% - 9%)

= 9.35%