Fikse Gardening Supplies has no debt outstanding, and its financial position is given by the following data:

Assets (book = market)...........................................$4,000,000

EBIT............................................................................$500,000

Cost of equity, r_s .......................................................8.75%

Stock price, P₀ .......................................................... $8

Shares outstanding, n₀ ..........................................500,000

Tax rate, T ...................................................................30%

The firm is considering selling bonds and simultaneously repurchasing some of its stock. If it moves to a capital structure with 30% debt based on market values, its cost of equity, r, will increase to 9.5% to reflect the increased risk. Bonds can be sold at a cost, rd, of 7%. Fikse is a no-growth firm. Hence, all its earnings are paid out as dividends, and earnings are expected to be constant over time.

a. What effect would this use of leverage have on the value of the firm?

b. What would be the market value of Fikse's equity?

c. The $500,000 EBIT given previously is actually the expected value from the following probability distribution:

Probability....................................EBIT 

0.10 ........................................ $ (100,000) 

0.20 ........................................ 200,000 

0.40 ........................................ 500,000 

0.20 ........................................ 800,000

0.10 ......................................... 1,100,000 

Determine the times-interest-earned ratio for each probability. What is the probability of not covering the interest payment at the 30% debt level?