Cost of common stock equity Ross Textiles wishes to measure its cost of common stock equity. The firm's stock is currently selling for $57.50. The firm expect to pay a $3.40 dividend at the end of the year (2016). The dividends for the past 5 years are shown in the following table.

Year	Dividend
2015	$3.10
2014	2.92
2013	2.60
2012	2.30
2011	2.12

After underpricing and flotation costs, the firm expects to net $52 per share on a new issue.

a. Determine the rowth rate of dividends from 2011 to 2015.

b. Determine the net Proceeds, N_n, that the firm will actually receive.

c. Using the constant-growth valuation model, determine the cost of retained earnings, r_r.

d. Using the constant-growth valuation model, determine the cost of new common stock, r_n.

I can't figure out how to determine the growth rate in part a without knowing what the required rate of return is. If I can manage to figure out part a I think I can manage to get through the rest, but it's not helpful that everywhere I've looked tells me to plug this, that, and the other thing into a calculator without telling me where I'm getting these numbers or how to do it without a calculator.