Your employer, a mid-sized human resources management company, is considering expansion into related fields, including the acquisition of Temp Force Company, an employment agency that supplies word processor operators and computer programmers to businesses with temporary heavy workloads. Your employer is also considering the purchase of Biggerstaff & McDonald (B&M), a privately held company owned by two friends, each with 5 million shares of stock. B&M currently has free cash flow of $24 million, which is expected to grow at a constant rate of 5%. B&Ms financial statements report short-term investments of $100 million, debt of $200 million, and preferred stock of $50 million. B&Ms weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is 11%. Answer the following questions.

1. What are two reasons why managers often emphasize short-term earnings?

2. What happens if a company has a constant gL which exceeds rs? Will many stocks have expected growth greater than the required rate of return in the short run (i.e., for the next few years)? In the long run (i.e., forever)?

3. What is the market multiple method of valuation? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
4 What are the advantages of the free cash flow valuation model relative to the dividend growth model?