1.) Assume a $1000 face value bond has a coupon rate of 8.5 percent, pays interest semi-annually, and has an eight-year life. If investors are willing to accept a 10.25 percent rate of return on bonds of similar quality, what is the present value or worth of this bond?
2.) The Garcia Company’s bonds have a face value of $1000, will mature in ten years, and carry a coupon rate of 16 percent. Assume interest rates are made semi-annually.
A.) Determine the present value of the bonds cash flows if the required rate of return is 16.64 percent.
B.) How would your answer change if the required rate of return is 12.36 percent?
3.) Mercier Corporations stock is selling for $95. It has just paid a dividend of $5 a share. The expected growth rate in dividends is 8 percent.
A.) What is the required rate of return on this stock?
B.) Using your answer to (a), suppose Mercier announces developments occur that should lead to dividend increases of 10 percent annually. What will be the value of Mercier’s stock?
C.) Again using your answer to (a), suppose developments occur that leave investors expecting that dividends will not change from their current levels in the foreseeable future. Now what will be the value of Mercier stock?
D.) From your answers to (b) and (c), how important are investors expectation of future dividend growth to the current stock price?