Final answer:
The pretax cost of debt can be calculated by finding the yield to maturity (YTM) of the bond. The aftertax cost of debt takes into account the tax rate. The aftertax cost of debt is more relevant because it reflects the actual cost to the company after taking into account the tax benefits of interest expense.
Step-by-step explanation:
a. To calculate the pretax cost of debt, we need to find the yield to maturity (YTM) of the bond.
The YTM can be calculated using the bond's current price, face value, coupon rate, and time to maturity.
In this case, the bond currently sells for 105 percent of its face value, so the current price would be 1.05 times the face value. We can then use a financial calculator or spreadsheet function to find the YTM.
The pretax cost of debt is equal to the YTM, which can be expressed as a percentage.
b. The aftertax cost of debt takes into account the tax rate.
To calculate the aftertax cost of debt, we need to multiply the pretax cost of debt by (1 - tax rate).
In this case, the tax rate is 24 percent, so the aftertax cost of debt would be the pretax cost of debt multiplied by (1 - 0.24).
c. The aftertax cost of debt is more relevant because it reflects the actual cost to the company after taking into account the tax benefits of interest expense.
The aftertax cost of debt is the cost that the company will effectively pay after considering the tax savings.