Final answer:
The market rate of return on BJ's Auto Clinic stock is 4.97%, calculated using the dividend discount model with the stock's price, expected dividend, and yearly dividend growth rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
To determine the market rate of return on BJ's Auto Clinic stock, we use the formula for the dividend discount model (DDM), considering the stock sells for $38.25 and the expected dividend is $1.90 with an annual increase of 2.5%.
The rate of return is calculated by adding the dividend yield and the growth rate, which translates to the formula: {{(Dividend per share / Price per share) + Growth rate}}. Plugging in the numbers, we have {{($1.90 / $38.25) + 2.5%}}, which equals 4.97%. This is the market rate of return, before considering any capital gains from selling the stock at a higher price.