Question

CARMEN CORPORATION

On January 2, 2006, in the strategic committee meeting of the company, Christine Carmen Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer said, we are optimistic about 2006 and the years beyond. The proposed projects presently under consideration will enable us efficiently to expand our productivity in order to meet ever-increasing customers demand with high quality engineered products and systems for defense, aerospace and industrial applications.

Carmen Corporation is a supplier of sophisticated, highly engineered products and systems for defense, aerospace and industrial applications. The Company has three business segments.

The Company's Defense segment provides integrated front-line war-fighting systems and components, including electronic warfare systems, reconnaissance and surveillance systems, aircraft weapons suspension and release systems and airborne mine countermeasures systems.

The Company's Communications and Space Products segment supplies antenna products and ultra-miniature electronics and systems for the remote sensing, communications and electronic warfare industries.

The Company's Engineered Materials segment supplies piezoelectric ceramic products for commercial and military markets and advanced fiber composite structural products for the aircraft, communication, navigation, chemical, petrochemical, paper, and oil industries.

Carmen Corporation has the following financial statements:

Table 1                                 CARMEN COMPANY
Balance Sheet 12/31/2005
Assets		Liability & Equity
Cash	$6,000,000	Account Payable	$1,000,000
Account Receivable	$8,000,000	Notes Payable	$3,000,000
Inventory	$3,000,000	Accrued Taxes	$1,000,000
Current Asset	$17,000,000	Current Liabilities	$5,000,000
GFA	$40,000,000	Long-term debt	$10,000,000
Accumulated Depreciation	($2,000,000)	Preferred Stock (0.5 million shares)	$15,000,000
Net Fixed Assets	$38,000,000	Common Stock (1 million shares)	$10,000,000
		Returned Earnings	$15,000,000
		Common Equity	$25,000,000
Total Asst	$55,000,000	Total Liability & Equity	$55,000,000

Table 2 -Income Statement (12/31/2005)
Sales	$25,000,000
Cost of Sales	-8,500,000
Earnings Before Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA)	$16,500,000
Depreciation	-1,550,000
Earnings Before Interest and taxes (EBIT)	$14,950,000
Interest Expense	($950,000)
Taxable Income	$14,000,000
Taxes (40%)	($5,600,000)
Net Income	$8,400,000

           

Its established common stock’s dividend payout ratio after the preferred stock dividends payment is 50 percent and it is expected to grow at a constant rate of 9 percent in the future. The tax rate is 40 percent and investors requiring a rate of return of 15% on the common stock.

Preferred stock is trading at a price of $40 per share, with a dividend of $4.8. The 30-year long-term debt with a par value of $1,000 was issued 10 years ago with a coupon rate of 8%. The bonds can be refinanced at the market interest rate of 10 percent today.

Carmen has the following investment opportunities:

Table 3	Project	Annual Net
Project	Cost	Cash Flow	Life
Defense 1	$1,000,000	$219,120	7
Defense 2	$2,000,000	368,580	10
Eng. Materials 1	$1,000,000	222,851	8
Eng. Materials 2	$2,000,000	542,784	6
Communication and Space 1	$1,000,000	202168	9
Communication and Space 2	$1,000,000	319,775	5

Part I

Determine the book value and market value of the capital structure.

Determine the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each of the capital structure.

Calculate the internal rate of return (IRR) and Net Present Value of each project and compare them against the book value and market value weighted average cost of capital.

Are there any conflict between NPV and IRR? How do you resolve the conflict in ranking?

e.

How much of the internal fund is available for investments?

Are there any issues about the projects you should consider before your recommendation?

Part II

Although the average project in the Defense Segment was substantially riskier than communications and Space Products segment and Engineered Materials segment, the project evaluation process did not formally incorporate risk considerations. This lack of risk consideration was more evident in the Communications and Space Products segment and Engineered Materials segments, since their productions, earnings, and profits were highly correlated and fluctuated with the economy. As a result, these segments provided a very stable income to the company. On the other hand, the Defense segment provides military products and professional services to the United States and allied governments, and their prime defense contractors and as a result, the earnings and profits of the Defense segment tended to be tied to the world geo-political environment.

Carmen has gathered the following beta for each segment based on comparable companies:

Project             Defense           Com. Space     Eng. Materials                        

Beta                 1.50                 1.20                 0.80                

The risk-free rate is 5% and rate of the market risk premium 9.0%.

h.Calculate the required rate of return for each project?

i.Compare the required rate of return with expected rate of return, according to the risk characteristics of each project; which project is appropriate to take?

Answer 1

1. Determine Book Value and Market Value of Capital Structure
a. Calculation of Book Value
	Particulars	Amount
	Common Equity	25,000,000
	Preferred Stock	15,000,000
	Long Term Debt	10,000,000
	Total Capital	50,000,000
b. Calculation of Market Value
	Particulars	Amount
	Common Equity (1,000,000 shares @ 98.10)	98,100,000
	Preferred Stock (500,000 shares @ 40)	20,000,000
	Long Term Debt (10000 units @ 830)	8,300,000
	Total Capital	126,400,000
WN-1	Market Value of Common Stock
	Net Income	8,400,000
	Less:- Dividend on Preferred Stock	2,400,000
	(4.8*500,000)
	Earning Available for Common Stock	10,800,000
	Dividend Payout Ratio	50%
	Dividend Declared               =	10,800,000*50%
	=	5,400,000
	Number of Shares	1,000,000
	Dividend Per Share	5.40
	Market Value per share      =	Dividend Per Share(1+Growth rate)/ (Investor's Required Rate of Return- Growth Rate)
	=	5.40(1+0.09)/(0.15-0.09)
	=	98.10
WN-1	Market Value of Debt
	Life of the Debt	30 Years
	Life Elapsed	10 Years
	Remaining Life	20 Years
	Par Value	1,000
	Coupon Rate	8%
	Market Value                         =	80*Present Value Annuity Factor for 20 years @ 10% + 1000* Present Value Factor of 20th Year @ 10%
	=	80*8.514+1000*0.149
	=	830

2. Calculation of Weighted Average Cost of Capital

a. Using Book Value of Capital Structure

Particulars	Amount	Weight	Cost	Weighted Cost
Common Stock	25,000,000	0.50	15%	=0.50*15%= 7.50%
Preferred Stock	15,000,000	0.30	16%	=0.30*16%= 4.80%
Long Term Debt	10,000,000	0.20	4.80%	=0.20*4.80%= 0.96%
Total	50,000,000			13.26%

WN Cost of Preferred Stock

= Dividend/ Cost

=4.80/30

=16%

WN Cost of Debt

= Interest Rate(1- Tax Rate)

= 8%(1-0.40) = 4.80%

B. Using Market Value Capital Structure

Particulars	Amount	Weight	Cost	Weighted Cost
Common Stock	98,100,0000	0.78	15%	=0.78*15%= 11.70%
Preferred Stock	20,000,0000	0.16	16%	=0.16*16%= 2.56%
Long Term Debt	8,300,000	0.06	4.80%	=0.06*4.80%= 0.29%
Total	126,400,000			14.55%