Answered step by step
Verified Expert Solution
Link Copied!

Question

1 Approved Answer

The CFO of Sterling Chemical is interested in evaluating the cost of equity capital for his firm. However, Sterling uses very little debt in its

The CFO of Sterling Chemical is interested in evaluating the cost of equity capital for his firm. However, Sterling uses very little debt in its capital structure (the firm's debt-to-equity capitalization ratio is only 20%), while larger chemical firms use substantially higher amount of debt. The following table shows the levered equity betas, debt-to-equity ratios, and debt betas for three of the largest chemical firms:

Company Name Levered Equity Betas Debt/Equity Capitalizatioin Assumed Debt Betas
Easman Chemical Co. (EMN) 1.79 30.77% 0.30
Celanese Copr. (CE) 1.98 23.55% 0.30
Dow Chemical Company (DOW) 1.71 21.60% 0.30

a. Use the information given above to estimate the unlevered equity betas for each of the companies. (Please provide excel formulas, and round to 4 decimals)

b. If Sterling's debt-to-equity capitalization ratio is .20 and its debt beta is .30, what is your estimate of the firm's levered equity beta?

Step by Step Solution

There are 3 Steps involved in it

Step: 1

blur-text-image

Get Instant Access with AI-Powered Solutions

See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success

Step: 2

blur-text-image

Step: 3

blur-text-image

Ace Your Homework with AI

Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance

Get Started

Students also viewed these Finance questions

Question

What is meant by 'Wealth Maximization ' ?

Answered: 1 week ago