Evans Technology has the following capital structure.

The aftertax cost of debt is $8\mathrm{.}00$ percent, and the cost of common equity $($in the form of retained earnings$)$ is $15\mathrm{.}00$ percent.

a$.$ What is the firm's weighted average cost of capital?

Note: Do not round intermediate calculations. Input your answers as a percent rounded to $2$ decimal places.

An outside consultant has suggested that because debt is cheaper than equity, the firm should switch to a capital structure that is

$50$ percent debt and $50$ percent equity.

Under this new and more debt$-$oriented arrangement, the aftertax cost of debt is $9\mathrm{.}00$ percent, and the cost of common equity $($in

the form of retained earnings$)$ is $17\mathrm{.}00$ percent.

b$.$ Recalculate the firm's weighted average cost of capital.

Note: Do not round intermediate calculations. Input your answers as a percent rounded to $2$ decimal places.