Reacher Technology has consulted with investment bankers and determined the interest rate it would pay for different capital structures, as shown below. Data for the risk-free rate, the market risk premium, an estimate of Reacher's unlevered beta, and the tax rate are also shown below. Based on this information, what is the firm's optimal capital structure and what is the weighted average cost of capital at the optimal structure? Percent Financed with Debt (wa) 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35% 40% Before-tax Cost Debt (rd) 6.0% 6.1% 6.3% 6.7% 10.0% 12.5% 15.5% 18.0% 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 Fill in formulas in the yellow cells to find the optimum capital structure. Debt/Value Equity/Value Debt/Equity A-T Cost of Levered Ratio (wa) Ratio (ws) Ratio (wa/ws) Debt (ra) Beta 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35% 40% 0.00 0.05 0.11 0.18 0.25 0.43 0.54 0.67 Input Data Risk-free rate Market risk premium Unlevered beta Tax rate WACC at optimum debt ratio Optimum debt ratio 4.5% 5.5% 1.1 25.0% Cost of Equity WACC

Corporate Fin Focused Approach
5th Edition
ISBN:9781285660516
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Chapter15: Capital Structure Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 12SP
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Leverage and the Capital Structure.  Why is the use of debt financing referred to as financial “leverage?”  What is the basic goal of financial management with regard to the capital structure?  Is there an easily identifiable debt-equity ratio that will maximize the value of a firm?  Why or why not?

Reacher Technology has consulted with investment bankers and determined the interest rate it
would pay for different capital structures, as shown below. Data for the risk-free rate, the market
risk premium, an estimate of Reacher's unlevered beta, and the tax rate are also shown below.
Based on this information, what is the firm's optimal capital structure and what is the weighted
average cost of capital at the optimal structure?
Percent
Financed
with Debt
(wa)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
30%
35%
40%
Before-tax
Cost Debt
(rd)
6.0%
6.1%
6.3%
6.7%
10.0%
12.5%
15.5%
18.0%
1.0
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.6
Fill in formulas in the yellow cells to find the optimum capital structure.
Debt/Value Equity/Value Debt/Equity A-T Cost of
Levered
Ratio (wa)
Ratio (ws)
Ratio (wa/ws) Debt (rd)
Beta
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
30%
35%
40%
0.00
0.05
0.11
0.18
0.25
0.43
0.54
0.67
Input Data
Risk-free rate
Market risk premium
Unlevered beta
Tax rate
WACC at optimum debt ratio
Optimum debt ratio
4.5%
5.5%
1.1
25.0%
Cost of
Equity
WACC
Transcribed Image Text:Reacher Technology has consulted with investment bankers and determined the interest rate it would pay for different capital structures, as shown below. Data for the risk-free rate, the market risk premium, an estimate of Reacher's unlevered beta, and the tax rate are also shown below. Based on this information, what is the firm's optimal capital structure and what is the weighted average cost of capital at the optimal structure? Percent Financed with Debt (wa) 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35% 40% Before-tax Cost Debt (rd) 6.0% 6.1% 6.3% 6.7% 10.0% 12.5% 15.5% 18.0% 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6 Fill in formulas in the yellow cells to find the optimum capital structure. Debt/Value Equity/Value Debt/Equity A-T Cost of Levered Ratio (wa) Ratio (ws) Ratio (wa/ws) Debt (rd) Beta 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30% 35% 40% 0.00 0.05 0.11 0.18 0.25 0.43 0.54 0.67 Input Data Risk-free rate Market risk premium Unlevered beta Tax rate WACC at optimum debt ratio Optimum debt ratio 4.5% 5.5% 1.1 25.0% Cost of Equity WACC
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