1.Maynard Steel plans to pay a dividend of $3 this year. The company has an expected earnings growth rate of 4% per year and an equity cost of capital of 10%.
a. Assuming Maynard’s dividend payout rate and expected growth rate remains constant, and Maynard does not issue or repurchase shares, estimate Maynard’s share price.
b. Suppose Maynard decides to pay a dividend of $1 this year and use the remaining $2 per share to repurchase shares. If Maynard’s total payout rate remains constant, estimate Maynard’s share price.
c. If Maynard maintains the dividend and total payout rate given in part (b), at what rate are Maynard’s dividends and earnings per share expected to grow?
2.Benchmark Metrics, Inc. (BMI), an all-equity financed firm, just reported EPS of $5.00 per share for 2008. Despite the economic downturn, BMI is confident regarding its current investment opportunities. But due to the financial crisis, BMI does not wish to fund these investments externally. The Board has therefore decided to suspend its stock repurchase plan and cut its dividend to $1 per share (vs. almost $2 per share in 2007), and retain these funds instead. The firm has just paid the 2008 dividend, and BMI plans to keep its dividend at $1 per share in 2009 as well. In subsequent years, it expects its growth opportunities to slow, and it will still be able to fund its growth internally with a target 40% dividend payout ratio, and reinitiating its stock repurchase plan for a total payout rate of 60%. (All dividends and repurchases occur at the end of each year.)
Suppose BMI’s existing operations will continue to generate the current level of earnings per share in the future. Assume further that the return on new investment is 15%, and that reinvestments will account for all future earnings growth (if any). Finally, assume BMI’s equity cost of capital is 10%.
a. Estimate BMI’s EPS in 2009 and 2010 (before any share repurchases).
b. What is the value of a share of BMI at the start of 2009?
3.Heavy Metal Corporation is expected to generate the following free cash flows over the next five years:
After then, the free cash flows are expected to grow at the industry average of 4% per year. Using the discounted free cash flow model and a weighted average cost of capital of 14%:
a. Estimate the enterprise value of Heavy Metal.
b. If Heavy Metal has no excess cash, debt of $300 million, and 40 million shares outstanding,estimate its share price.