Question

Concept of cost of capital and WACC Mace Manufacturing is in the process of analyzing its investment decision-making procedures. Two projects evaluated by the firm recently involved building new facilities in different regions, North and South. The basic variables surrounding each project analysis and the resulting decision actions are summarized in the following table.

Basic variables	North	South
Initial cost	−$6 million	−$5 million
Life	15 years	15 years
Expected return	8%	15%
Least-cost financing
Source	Debt	Equity
Cost (after-tax)	7%	16%
Decision
Action	Invest	Don’t invest
Reason	8% > 7% cost	15% < 16% cost

1. An analyst evaluating the North facility expects that the project will be financed by debt that costs the firm 7%. What recommendation do you think this analyst will make regarding the investment opportunity?

2. Another analyst assigned to study the South facility believes that funding for that project will come from the firm’s retained earnings at a cost of 16%. What recommendation do you expect this analyst to make regarding the investment?

3. Explain why the decisions in parts a and b may not be in the best interests of the firm’s investors.

4. If the firm maintains a capital structure containing 40% debt and 60% equity, find its weighted average cost of capital (WACC) using the data in the table.

5. If both analysts had used the WACC calculated in part d, what recommendations would they have made regarding the North and South facilities?

6. Compare and contrast the analyst’s initial recommendations with your findings in part e. Which decision method seems more appropriate? Explain why.

Answer 1

a.	The analyst will probably recommend investing in the North project because the project's expected return of 8%% is greater than the expected financing cost of 7% using the after-tax cost of debt
b.	The analyst will probably recommend not investing in the south project because the project's expected return of 15% is less than the expected financing cost of 16% using the after-tax cost of debt
c.	The company has selected the project with lesser returns.It will affect the market value of investment.
d.	WACC=(Weight of equity*Cost of equity)+(Weight of debt*Cost of debt)=(0.60*16%)+(0.40*7%)=9.60%+2.80%=12.40%
e.	If expected return>WACC,Accept.Otherwise reject.
			North	South
	Expected return		8%	15%
	WACC		12.40%	12.40%
	Decision		Reject	Accept
f.	Initial recommendation does not consider WACC. Hence, it results in a selection of lower return investment
	It was selected based on individual products basis and not based on the company as whole.
	But,Using WACC,Investment with higher return selected.
	It will increase the market value of investment.

Please give me a Thumbs up ?.Thanks!!