Final answer:
The cost of equity for John's Market, Inc. is calculated using the Dividend Discount Model (DDM), and by inputting the given values, we find that the company's cost of equity is 9.26%.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the cost of equity for John's Market, Inc., we can use the Dividend Discount Model (DDM), which is defined by the formula:
Cost of Equity = (Dividend per Share / Current Stock Price) + Dividend Growth Rate
Given the information:
- Annual dividend just paid: $2.35
- Dividend growth rate: 3.15%
- Current stock price: $38.44
Plugging these values into the formula, we get:
Cost of Equity = ($2.35 / $38.44) + 3.15%
Cost of Equity = 0.0611 + 0.0315
Cost of Equity = 0.0926 or 9.26%
Therefore, the company's cost of equity is 9.26%. This reflects the expected rate of return from an investment in John's Market, Inc., which includes the dividend yield and the expected growth in dividends.