Question

Beckman Engineering and Associates (BEA) is considering a change in its capital structure. BEA currently has $20 million in debt carrying a rate of 6%, and its stock price is $40 per share with 2 million shares outstanding. BEA is a zero-growth firm and pays out all of its earnings as dividends. The firm's EBIT is $17 million, and it faces a 25% federal-plus-state tax rate. The market risk premium is 4%, and the risk-free rate is 7%. BEA is considering increasing its debt level to a capital structure with 50% debt, based on market values, and repurchasing shares with the extra money that it borrows. BEA will have to retire the old debt in order to issue new debt, and the rate on the new debt will be 11%. BEA has a beta of 1.1.

A. What is BEA's unlevered beta? Use market value D/S (which is the same as wd/ws) when unlevering. Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answer to two decimal places.

____

B. What are BEA's new beta and cost of equity if it has 50% debt? Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answers to two decimal places.

Beta: ____

Cost of equity: ____ %

C. What is BEA's WACC with 50% debt? Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answer to two decimal places.

____ %

D. What is the total value of the firm with 50% debt? Do not round intermediate calculations. Enter your answer in millions. For example, an answer of $1.234 million should be entered as 1.234, not 1,234,000. Round your answer to three decimal places.

$ ____ million

Answer 1

A. ßU = ßL/[(1 + (1 - T)(D/E)]


= 1.1/[1 + (1 - .25)(20/80)]

= .926

Hence the unlevered beta is 0.926


B- What are BEA’s new beta and cost of equity if it has 50% debt?

Solution: Computation of the new beta and Cost of Equity

ßL = ßU[(1 + (1 - T)(D/E)].

At 50% debt, ßL = 0.926[1 + .75(50/50)]

=1.6205

Hence the New beta is 1.6205

rs = Rrf + ßL (Rm – Rrf)

= 7% + 1.6205(4%)

= 13.482%.

Hence the cost of equity is 13.482%

C- What are BEA’s WACC and total value of the firm with 50% debt?

Solution: Computation of the WACC

WACC = .5(9%)(1 - .25) + .5(13.482%)

= 10.116%.

WACC =10.116%.

Hence the WACC is 10.116%.


V = FCF/WACC

= [EBIT (1 - T)]/WACC

= [17(.75)]/.10116

= $126.038 million.

Hence the value of the firm is $126.038 million.