Cost of Capital
Computation for Each Source of Finance and Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)
The cost of capital is the return that a company needs to earn on its investments to maintain its market value. It includes the cost of debt, cost of equity, and preferred stock. The WACC is the average rate of return a company is expected to pay its security holders to finance its assets.
Example
If a company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1:1, and the cost of debt is 5% while the cost of equity is 10%, the WACC would be a weighted average of these costs based on the proportion of debt and equity in the company’s capital structure.
EBIT-EPS Analysis
Earnings Before Interest and Taxes (EBIT) and Earnings Per Share (EPS) analysis is used to determine the impact of different financing options on a company’s earnings per share.
Example
A company considering issuing debt to finance a new project would compare the EPS with and without the additional debt. If issuing debt increases EPS, it may be a preferable option despite the increased financial risk.
Example from GS: Show how the EBIT is calculated in the financial reports section of GS.
Operating and Financial Leverage
Operating leverage measures the proportion of fixed costs in a company’s cost structure, while financial leverage measures the use of debt financing.
Example
A company with high operating leverage (high fixed costs) will experience more significant changes in operating income with changes in sales volume. Similarly, high financial leverage (high debt) will magnify changes in net income due to changes in EBIT.
Example from GS: Show how operating and financial leverage is set in GS
Capital Structure and Dividend Policy
Capital Structure Theory
Theories of capital structure include the Net Income approach, Net Operating Income approach, and Modigliani-Miller (MM) approach.
Example
Under the MM approach, in a world with no taxes and bankruptcy costs, the value of a leveraged firm is the same as an unleveraged firm. However, in the real world, tax benefits of debt (interest is tax-deductible) and bankruptcy costs make the capital structure relevant.
Dividend Policy
A company’s dividend policy determines the portion of earnings distributed to shareholders versus retained in the company.
Example
Apple Inc. pays regular dividends and also engages in share buybacks, which return value to shareholders and reflect confidence in the company’s financial health.