The Sunbelt Corporation has $$38$ million of bonds outstanding that were issued at a coupon rate of $11\mathrm{.}575$ percent seven years ago.

Interest rates have fallen to $10\mathrm{.}90$ percent. Mr$.$ Heath, the Vice$-$President of Finance, does not expect rates to fall any further. The

bonds have $18$ years left to maturity, and Mr$.$ Heath would like to refund the bonds with a new issue of equal amount also having $18$

years to maturity. The Sunbelt Corporation has a tax rate of $36$ percent. The underwriting cost on the old Issue was $2\mathrm{.}5$ percent of the

total bond value. The underwriting cost on the new issue will be $1\mathrm{.}3$ percent of the total bond value. The original bond indenture

contained a five$-$year protection against a call, with a $7$ percent call premium starting in the sixth year and scheduled to decline by one$-$

half percent each year thereafter $($consider the bond to be seven years old for purposes of computing the premium$).$ Use App pendix $D$

for an approximate answer but calculate your final answer using the formula and financial calculator methods. Assume the discount

rate is equal to the aftertax cost of new debt rounded up to the nearest whole percent $($e$.$g$.4\mathrm{.}06$ percent should be rounded up to $5$

percent$).$

a$.$ Compute the discount rate.

Note: Do not round Intermedlate calculations. Input your answer as a percent rounded up to the nearest whole percent.

Answer is complete and correct.

b$.$ Calculate the present value of total outflows.

Note: Do not round Intermedlate calculations and round your answer to $2$ decimal places.

Answer is complete but not entirely correct.

PV of total outflows

$$,329,446\mathrm{.}53$

c$.$ Calculate the present value of total inflows.

Note: Do not round Intermedlate calculations and round your answer to $2$ decimal places.

Answer is complete but not entirely correct.

d$.$ Calculate the net present value

e$.$ Should the Sunbelt Corporation refund the old issue? Yes or NO