Mullineaux Corporation has a target capital structure of 60 percent common stock, 5 percent preferred stock, and 35 percent debt. Its cost of equity is 12.5 percent, the cost of preferred stock is 5.5 percent, and the cost of debt is 7.2 percent. The relevant tax rate is 35 percent.
a) Mullineaux's WACC is percent.
b) The company president has approached you about Mullineaux's capital structure. He wants to know why the company doesn't use more preferred stock financing, since it costs less than the debt. What would you tell the President?