When Starbuck's decided to acquire Seattle's Best Coffee Company, it presumably concluded that the the rate of return they would earn on Seattle's Best equaled or exceeded the risk-free rate. the rate of return they would earn on Seattle's Best would be equal to or higher than the rate of return they could earn on other investments of equal risk. the rate of return they would earn on Seattle's Best equaled or exceeded what Seattle's best was earning prior to the acquisition. the rate of return they would earn on Seattle's Best equaled or exceeded Starbucks overall cost of capital.