apter 11 i Saved Northwest Utility Company faces increasing needs for capital. Fortunately, it has an Aa3 credit rating. The corporate tax rate is 30 percent. Northwest's treasurer is trying to determine the corporation's current weighted average cost of capital in order to assess the profitability of capital budgeting projects. Historically, the corporation's earnings and dividends per share have increased about 5.3 percent annually and this should continue in the future. Northwest's common stock is selling at $77 per share, and the company will pay a $4.30 per share dividend (D). The company's $122 preferred stock has been yielding 6 percent in the current market. Flotation costs for the company have been estimated by its investment banker to be $5.00 for preferred stock. The company's optimum capital structure is 45 percent debt, 10 percent preferred stock, and 45 percent common equity in the form of retained earnings. Refer to the following table on bond issues for comparative yields on bonds of equal risk to Northwest. Price Yield to Maturity Data on Bond Issues Moody's Issue Rating Utilities: Southwest electric power-7 1/4 2023 Aa2 Pacific bell-7 3/8 2025 3 Pennsylvania power & light--8 1/2 2022 A2 Industrials: Johnson & Johnson -6 3/4 2023 Aaa Dillard's Department Stores --7 1/8 2023 A2 Marriott Corp. --10 2015 B2 $ 960.18 904.25 990.66 8.34% 8.23 8.99 840.24 990.92 1,100.10 8.44% 8.55 9.77 a. Compute the cost of debt, K. (Use the accompanying table-relate to the utility bond credit rating for yield.) (Do not round intermediate calculations. Input your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.) Cost of debt