Assignment: Effect Of Debt Issuance On Stock Valuation
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate to students how the issuance of debt to purchase outstanding common stock could affect the value of the company's equity and redefine the capital structure. The problem will also allow students to explore the effect of corporate taxes through debt financing.
Resources: Corporate Finance
Scenario: Hightower, Inc. plans to announce it will issue $2.0 million of perpetual debt and use the proceeds to repurchase common stock. The bonds will sell at par with a coupon rate of 5%. Hightower, Inc. is currently an all-equity company worth $7.5 million with 400,000 shares of common stock outstanding. After the sale of the bonds, the company will maintain the new capital structure indefinitely. The company currently generates annual pretax earnings of $1.5 million. This level of earnings is expected to remain constant in perpetuity. The tax rate is 35%.
Prepare a 1050-word memo advising the management of Hightower, Inc. on the financial impact, including the following:
· What is the expected return on the company's equity before the announcement of the debt issue?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.