Suppose that the consensus forecast of security analysts of your favorite company is that earnings next year will be E1 = $5:00 per share. Suppose that the company tends to plow back 50% of its earnings and pay the rest as dividends. If the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) estimates that the company's growth rate will be 8% from now onwards, answer the following questions.
Suppose you observe that the stock is selling for $50.00 per share, and that this is the best estimate of its equilibrium price. What would you conclude about either (i) your estimate of the stock's required rate of return; or (ii) the CFO's estimate of the company's future growth rate?