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Warner Company, which is a manufacturer of computer parts, has been in business

ID: 2763354 • Letter: W

Question

Warner Company, which is a manufacturer of computer parts, has been in business only a few years. Its board of directors decided to pay a dividend next year to help boost the attractiveness of its shares. It will pay $0.28 in dividends per share next year, after which its dividends are expected to grow at 5 percent per year into the foreseeable future. Given a share beta of 2.1, a market rate of return of 9 percent, and a 6 percent T-bill rate, should the company's shares be purchased if they are currently selling for $3.50? As a financial analyst, however, you have decided to take into consideration the life cycle of the industry and have predicted that the current growth rate of 5 percent will be reduced to 3 percent from year 4 and the latter growth rate will continue into an indefinite future. Would you be your decision now?

Explanation / Answer

Hi,

Please find the correct answer below:

Value of stock = D1/ (k - g)

where:

D1 = next year's expected annual dividend per share

k = the investor's discount rate or required rate of return, which can be estimated using the Capital Asset Pricing Model or the Dividend Growth Model (see Cost of Equity)

g = the expected dividend growth rate (note that this is assumed to be constant)

D1 = 0.28

Cost of equity or k = Risk free rate of return + Beta × (market rate of return – risk free rate of return)

= 0.06 + 2.1*(0.09-0.06)

= 0.123

Expected Share price = 0.28/(0.123-0.05)

= 3.84

The share is currently undervalued; hence, the company’s shares should be purchased.

New price

D1 = 0.28

D2 = 0.28*(1.05) = 0.294

D3 = 0.28*(1.05)*(1.05) = 0.3087

D4 =0.3087*(1.03) = 0.317961

Price = 0.28/(1.123)^1+0.294/(1.123)^2+0.3087/(1.123)^3+(0.31761/(1.123)^3)/(0.123-0.05)

= 3.77

The share is currently undervalued still; hence, the company’s shares should be purchased.