In: Finance
Your firm is considering extending its operations by building a new plant, which will require an initial investment of $500M. You have determined that the new division will have a 50% chance of generating an annual free cash flow of $120M in perpetuity, a 40% chance of an annual cash flow of $75M in perpetuity and a 10% chance that the division will generate zero (0) cash. Your firm uses 30% debt and 70% equity to finance its operations. Its current equity beta is 2.2. The market risk premium (rm-rf) is 7% and the Treasury bill rate is 3%. The cost of debt is 8%.
The tax rate is 25%. What is the discount rate for the project? Should your firm build the new plant?
Discount rate for the project
Weight of Debt = Wd = 30%
Weight of Equity = We = 70%
Market risk premium =(Rm-Rf) 7%
Equity beta = 2.2
Risk free rate = Rf = Treasury bill rate = 3%
Cost of Equity = re= Rf + Beta* Market Risk Premium
= 3% + 2.2*7%
= 3% + 15.4%
= 18.4%
Cost of Debt = rd =8%
Tax rate = t = 25%
Weighted Average Cost of Capital = [Wd*rd*(1-t)] + [We*re]
= [30% * 8% * (1-25%)] + [70%*18.4%]
= 1.8% + 12.88%
= 14.68%
Therefore, Discount rate for the project is 14.68%
Calculation of NPV of the Project
Initial Investment = $500M
Present value of Perpetuity Cash Flow at 50% = $120 M / 14.68% = $817.438692 M
Present value of Perpetuity Cash Flow at 40% = $75 M / 14.68% = $510.899183 M
Present value of Perpetuity Cash Flow at 0% = $0 M
Expected Present value of Perpetuity Cash Flows = [50% * $817.438692 M] + [40% * $510.899183 M] + [`10% * $0 M ]
= $408.719346 M + $204.359677 M+ $0 M
= $613.079023 M
NPV of the Project = Expected Present value of Perpetuity cash flow - Initial Investment
= $613.079023 M - $500 M
= $113.079023
Therefore, NPV of the Project is $113.08
NPV of the Project is greater than Zero hence the project should build the plant