Question

HH Industries has 50 million shares that are currently trading for $4 per share and $200 million worth of debt. The debt is risk free and has and interest rate of 5%, and the expected return of HH stock is 11%. Suppose a strike causes the price of HH stock to fall 25% to $3 per share. The value of the risk free debt is unchanged. Assuming there are no taxes and the risk of HH's assets is unchanged, what happens to HH's equity cost of capital

Answer 1

12%

Step-by-step explanation:

For computing the equity cost of capital first we have to determine the weight of the capital structure after that the WACC and then finally equity cost of capital which is shown below:

Weight of capital structure

For debt

= $200 million ÷ $400 million

= 0.50

For equity

= 50 million × $4 ÷ $400 million

= 0.50

Now the WACC is

= 0.50 11% + 0.50 × 5%

= 8%

Since the value fo equity is declined by

= 50 × $3

= $150

Now the equity cost of capital is

= WACC + (WACC - interest rate) × (debt ÷ equity)

= 8% + (8% - 5%) × (200 ÷ 150)

= 12%