Suppose the market value of a firms equity is worth $100m and the market value of its debt is worth $50m. Also, assume equity beta and debt beta to be 1.2 and 0.3 respectively. Return on debt is 6%. If the market risk premium is 10% and the risk free rate is 3%, calculate:

a) Expected return on equity

b) WACC using the return on equity from above and the return on debt

c) Asset beta using the equity beta and debt beta

Suppose the firm discussed above decides to alter its capital structure by repurchasing $20m in equity. It repurchases the $20m in equity by raising $20m in debt. Assume that the debt beta increases to 0.5

d) What is the market value of the firm?

e) What is the asset beta?

f) What is the new equity beta?

g) What is the return on equity?

A natural gas energy company must choose between two mutually exclusive extraction projects, and each costs $12 million. Under Plan D, all the natural gas would be extracted in 1 year, producing a cash flow at t = 1 of $14.4 million. Under Plan E, cash flows would be $2.1 million per year for 20 years. The firms WACC is 13%.

a. Construct NPV profiles for Plans D and E, identify each projects IRR, and show the approximate crossover rate.

b. Is it logical to assume that the firm would take on all available independent, average-risk projects with returns greater than 13%? If all available projects with returns greater than 13% have been undertaken, does this mean that cash flows from past investments have an opportunity cost of only 13% because all the company can do with these cash flows is to replace money that has a cost of 13%? Does this imply that the WACC is the correct reinvestment rate assumption for a projects cash flows?