Question

A company has a before-tax cost of common equity of 14%, a pre-tax cost of debt of 6%, a cost of preferred equity of 8%, and a marginal tax rate of 34%. The current market value of the company is $150 million, with $75 million common equity, $50 million debt, and $25 million preferred equity. What is this company's weighted average cost of capital?

Answer 1

Weighted average cost of capital = [Cost of equity * Proportion of equity] +[Cost of preferred stock * Proportion of preferred stock] +[Cost of debt *(1-tax rate)*proportion of debt]

Cost of equity =0.14

Proportion of equity = 75/150 = 3/6

Cost of preferred stock = 0.08

Proportion of preferred stock = 25/150 = 1/6

Cost of debt = 0.06

Tax rate = 0.34

Proportion of debt = 50/150 = 2/6

Weighted average cost of capital =[0.14*3/6]+[0.08*1/6]+[0.06 (1-0.34)*2/6]

Weighted average cost of capital = 0.07+0.013+0.0128 = 0.0958 = 9.58%