1.How to calculate the free cash flow of the firm (also referred to as the firm's free cash flow) directly? How to calculate the firm's free cash flow from earnings in a levered firm? What is the appropriate discount rate for the firm's free cash flow if the firm plans to have a constant debt-to-equity ratio forever? What do you get when you calculate the present value of the free cash flow of the firm in this case? What is the appropriate discount rate for the firm's free cash flow if the firm plans to have debt only for 5 years and the interest payment varies over years? What do you get when you calculate the present value of the free cash flow of the firm using this discount rate?

Describe how to estimate the free cash flow to equity in a levered firm starting from the firm's free cash flow as we discussed in class. What is the right discount rate for the free cash flow to equity? What do you get when you calculate the present value of the free cash flow to equity? What's the difference between the free cash flow of the firm and the free cash flow to equity?