Final answer:
Using the Capital Asset Pricing Model, Cooley Company's required rate of return is calculated as 32.7% by adding the product of the stock's beta and the market risk premium to the risk-free rate.
Step-by-step explanation:
The required rate of return for Cooley Company's stock can be calculated using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), which is defined by the formula:
Required Rate of Return = Risk-Free Rate + (Beta * Market Risk Premium)
In this case, the risk-free rate is given as 25%, the beta is 1.40, and the market risk premium is 5.50%. Plugging these values into the CAPM formula, we get:
Required Rate of Return = 0.25 + (1.40 * 0.055)
Required Rate of Return = 0.25 + 0.077
Required Rate of Return = 0.327 or 32.7%
Therefore, the firm's required rate of return is 32.7%.