Western Electric has 23,000 shares of common stock outstanding at a price per share of $57 and a rate of return of 14.2 percent. The firm has 6,000 shares of 7 percent preferred stock outstanding at a price of $48 a share. The preferred stock has a par value of $100. The outstanding debt has a total face value of $350,000 and currently sells for 102 percent of face. The yield to maturity on the debt is 8.49 percent. What is the firm's weighted average cost of capital if the tax rate is 34 percent?

The firm's weighted average cost of capital if the tax rate is 34 percent is 12.69%

Explanation:

total assets = common stock value + preferred stock value + debt

                   = 23000*57 + 6000*48 + 350000*102%

                   = 1956000

WACC

= (common stock value/total assets) * common stock rate of return

+ (preferred stock value/total assets) * preferred stock rate of return

+ (debt value/total assets) * yield to maturity of debt * (1-tax rate)

= (1311000/1956000)*14.2%  + (288000/1956000)*7%  + (357000/1956000)*8.49*(1 - 34%)

= 12.69%

Therefore, The firm's weighted average cost of capital if the tax rate is 34 percent is 12.69%