Final answer:
Using the Gordon Growth Model, the company's cost of equity is calculated to be 10.12% by taking the expected dividend in one year, the current stock price, and the dividend growth rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cost of equity for the Countess Corporation can be calculated using the Gordon Growth Model (also known as the Dividend Discount Model). The model expresses the cost of equity (ke) as follows:
ke = (D1/P0) + g
where D1 is the expected dividend in one year, P0 is the current stock price, and g is the growth rate of the dividends.
Given that Countess Corporation is expected to pay an annual dividend of $4.93 in one year and the stock price is currently $76.71 per share, along with a dividend growth rate of 3.70 percent, we can plug these values into the equation to calculate the company's cost of equity:
ke = (4.93/76.71) + 0.037
After doing the math:
ke = 0.0642 + 0.037
ke = 0.1012 or 10.12%
Therefore, the company's cost of equity is 10.12%.