1. Karla Engineering Inc. (KEI) has the following capital structure, which it considers to be optimal:
Debt 25%
Preferred stock 15%
Common equity 60%
KEI's expected net income this year is $34,285.72; its established dividend payout ratio is 40%; its federal-plus-state tax rate is 35%; and investors expect future earnings and dividends to grow at a constant rate of 9%. KEI paid a dividend of $3.20 per share last year, and its stock currently sells for $54.00 per share. KEI can obtain new capital in the following ways:
• Preferred: New preferred stock with a dividend of $10.00 can be sold to the public at a price of $95.00 per share.
• Debt: Debt can be sold at an interest rate of 12%
a. Determine the cost of each capital component.
b. Calculate the WACC.
c. KEI has the following investment opportunities that are average-risk projects:
Project Cost at t = 0 Rate of Return
A $ 10,000 17.4%
B 20,000 16.0
C 10,000 14.2
D 20,000 13.7
E 10,000 12.0
Which projects should KEI accept? Why? Assume that KEI does not want to issue any new common stock.