Question

The Gecko Company and the Gordon Company are two firms whose business risk is the same but that have different dividend policies. Gecko pays no dividend, whereas Gordon has an expected dividend yield of 5 percent. Suppose the capital gains tax rate is zero, whereas the income tax rate is 25 percent. Gecko has an expected earnings growth rate of 8 percent annually, and its stock price is expected to grow at this same rate.Required:If the aftertax expected returns on the two stocks are equal (because they are in the same risk class), what is the pretax required return on Gordon’s stock? (Do not round intermediate calculations. Enter your answer as a percentage rounded to 2 decimal places (e.g., 32.16).)Pretax return %

Answer 1

10.67%

Step-by-step explanation:

Gecko Company

Gecko = Expected Earnings growth rate = 8% annually

As there are no Capital gains tax, thus after Tax returns = Pretax returns

= 8%

Expected Dividend yield of Gordon = 5%

After tax returns = 5(1-.25)

=5(0.75)

= 3.75%

Assuming the pay out ratio = 100%

Gordon’s required pretax return = 8/ (1-.25)

=8/0.75

= 10.67%

At pretax return of 10.67% on Gordon the after tax returns on both the stocks are equal.