Assignment 2
DUE 23 September 2024
, 1.1 The Cost of Capital That GIC Should Use in Evaluating the Options
Cost of Capital Overview: The cost of capital is the return that a company needs to
achieve to satisfy its investors or creditors. It's an essential metric for evaluating
investment opportunities, as it reflects the opportunity cost of investing capital in a
specific project compared to alternative investments with similar risk profiles.
Components of Cost of Capital:
• Cost of Debt (Kd): The interest rate GIC pays on its borrowed funds. It should
be adjusted for tax savings because interest payments are tax-deductible.
• Cost of Equity (Ke): The return required by equity investors. It can be
estimated using models like the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM).
• Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC): If GIC uses both debt and equity
to finance its projects, the WACC is the most appropriate measure. It's
calculated by weighting the cost of debt and the cost of equity by their
respective proportions in the company's capital structure.
Factors Influencing GIC's Cost of Capital:
Risk Profile of the New Product Manufacturing System: The higher the perceived
risk, the higher the required return by investors.
Market Conditions: Interest rates, market volatility, and economic outlook will
influence the cost of capital.
GIC's Capital Structure: The proportion of debt and equity used by GIC will affect the
WACC.
Recommended Approach for GIC: GIC should calculate its WACC if the project is to
be financed using a mix of debt and equity. The formula for WACC is: