Question

Its investment bankers have told Donner Corporation that it can issue a 25-year, 8.1% annual payment bond at par. They also stated that the company can sell an issue of annual payment preferred stock to corporate investors who are in the 40% tax bracket. The corporate investors require an after-tax return on the preferred that exceeds their after-tax return on the bonds by 1.0%, which would represent an after-tax risk premium. What coupon rate must be set on the preferred in order to issue it at par? (hint: a portion of dividends are tax-exempt for corporate investors).

Answer 1

The coupon rate must be set at 9.77%

The after-tax return on the bonds is:

= Annual payment rate * ( 1 - tax rate)

= 8.1% * ( 1 - 40%)

= 4.86%

The investors would like an after-tax return on preferred stock that is more than their bond return by 1% so they would like a preferred return of:

= 4.86% + 1%

= 5.86%

If the Preferred must be issued at par, its coupon rate must be equal its before-tax yield:

= After tax yield / ( 1 - tax rate)

= 5.86% / ( 1 - 40%)

= 9.77%

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