Dickinson Company has $$11,860,000$ million in assets. Currently half of these assets are financed with long$-$term debt at $9\mathrm{.}3$ percent and half with common stock having a par value of $$8.$ Ms$.$ Park, Vice President of Finance, wishes to analyze two refinancing plans, one with more debt $($D$)$ and one with more equity $($E$).$ The company earns a return on assets before interest and taxes of $9\mathrm{.}3$ percent. The tax rate is $40$ percent. Tax loss carryover provisions apply, so negative tax amounts are permissable.

Under Plan D$,$ a $$2,965,000$ million long$-$term bond would be sold at an interest rate of $11\mathrm{.}3$ percent and $370,625$ shares of stock would be purchased in the market at $$8$ per share and retired.

Under Plan E$,370,625$ shares of stock would be sold at $$8$ per share and the $$2,965,000$ in proceeds would be used to reduce long$-$term debt.

a$.$ Compute earnings per share considering the current plan and the two new plans.

Note: Round your answers to $2$ decimal places.

b$-1.$ Compute the earnings per share if return on assets fell to $4\mathrm{.}65$ percent.

Note: Negative amounts should be indicated by a minus sign. Round your answers to $2$ decimal places. Leave no cells blank be certain to enter $0$ wherever required.

b$-2.$ Which plan would be most favorable if return on assets fell to $4\mathrm{.}65$ percent? Consider the current plan and the two new plans.

multiple choice $1$

Plan E

Plan D

Current Plan

b$-3.$ Compute the earnings per share if return on assets increased to $14\mathrm{.}3$ percent.

Note: Round your answers to $2$ decimal places.

b$-4.$ Which plan would be most favorable if return on assets increased to $14\mathrm{.}3$ percent? Consider the current plan and the two new plans.

multiple choice $2$

Current Plan

Plan D

Plan E

c$-1.$ If the market price for common stock rose to $$10$ before the restructuring, compute the earnings per share. Continue to assume that $$2,965,000$ million in debt will be used to retire stock in Plan D and $$2,965,000$ million of new equity will be sold to retire debt in Plan E$.$ Also assume that return on assets is $9\mathrm{.}3$ percent.

Note: Round your answers to $2$ decimal places.

c$-2.$ If the market price for common stock rose to $$10$ before the restructuring, which plan would then be most attractive?

multiple choice $3$

Current Plan

Plan D

Plan E