A relatively small medical group practice is trying to estimate its CCC. The practice is 100 percent equity financed. The rate of return on 20-year Treasury bonds is currently 4 percent, and the expected rate of return on the market is 8 percent. A large practice management firm has a beta coefficient of 0.9. Market research indicates that the cost of equity for very small firms is approximately 4 percentage points higher than the cost of equity for large firms. Moreover, the investors in the small group practice face liquidity risk and thus determine that a liquidity premium of 2 percentage points is appropriate.

a. What is the best estimate of the firm’s CCC?

b. How would your estimate of the CCC change if the success of the medical group practice was highly dependent on the reputation of a single physician in the group?