WestGas Conveyance, Inc., is a large U.S. natural gas pipeline company that wants to raise $120 million to finance expansion. WestGas wants a capital structure that is 50% debt and 50% equity. Its corporate combined federal and state income tax rate is 40%. WestGas finds that it can finance in the domestic U.S. capital market at the rates listed:

Costs of Raising Capital in the Market	Cost of Domestic Equity	Cost of Domestic Debt	Cost of European Equity	Cost of European Debt
Up to $40 million of new capital	12%	7%	14%	5%
$41 million to $80 million of new capital	19%	12%	18%	11%
Above $80 million	21%	15%	23%	16%

Both debt and equity would have to be sold in multiples of $20 million, and these cost figures show the component costs, each, of debt and equity if raised 50% by debt and 50% by equity.

A London bank advises WestGas that U.S. dollars could be raised in Europe at the following costs, also in multiples of $20 million, while maintaining the 50/50 capital structure.

Each increment of cost would be influenced by the total amount of capital raised. That is, if WestGas first borrowed $20 million in the European market at 5% and matched this with an additional $20 million of equity, additional debt beyond this amount would cost 12% in the United States and 11% in Europe. The same relationship holds for equity financing.

a. Calculate the lowest average cost of capital for each increment of $40 million of new capital, where WestGas raises $20 million in the equity market and an additional $20 in the debt market at the same time.

b. If WestGas plans an expansion of only $60 million, how should that expansion be financed? What will be the weighted average cost of capital for theexpansion?