Question

Air Tampa has just been incorporated, and its board of directors is grappling with the question of optimal capital structure. The company plans to offer commuter air services between Tampa and smaller surrounding cities. Jaxair has been around for a few years, and it has about the same basic business risk as Air Tampa would have. Jaxair's market-determined beta is 1.4, and it has a current market value debt ratio (total debt to total assets) of 40% and a federal-plus-state tax rate of 40%. Air Tampa expects to be only marginally profitable at start-up; hence its tax rate would only be 30%. Air Tampa's owners expect that the total book and market value of the firm's stock, if it uses zero debt, would be $14 million. Air Tampa's CFO believes that the MM and Hamada formulas for the value of a levered firm and the levered firm's cost of capital should be used because zero growth is expected. (These are given in equations V_L = V_U + V_{Tax shield} = V_U + TD, r_sL = r_sU + (r_sU - r_d)(1 - T)(D/S), and b = b_U[1 + (1 - T)(D/S)].)

1. Estimate the beta of an unlevered firm in the commuter airline business based on Jaxair's market-determined beta. (Hint: This is a levered beta; use Equation b = b_U[1 + (1 - T)(D/S)] and solve for b_U.) Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answer to three decimal places.

Answer 1