A relatively small medical group practice is trying to estimate its corporate cost of capital.

The practice is 100 percent equity financed. The rate of return on 20-year Treasury bonds is

currently 6 percent, and the expected rate of return on the market is 12 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 corporate cost of capital?

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