1. To finance some manufacturing tools it needs for the next 3 years, Waldrop Corporation is considering a leasing arrangement. The tools will be obsolete and worthless after 3 years. The firm will depreciate the cost of the tools on a straight-line basis over their 3-year life. It can borrow $4,800,000, the purchase price, at 10% and buy the tools, or it can make 3 equal end-of-year lease payments of $2,100,000 each and lease them. The loan obtained from the bank is a 3-year simple interest loan, with interest paid at the end of the year and the entire principal paid at the end of Year 3. The firm's tax rate is 40%. Annual maintenance costs associated with ownership are estimated at $240,000, but this cost would be borne by the lessor if it leases. What is cheaper in today's (Year 0) dollars: purchase or lease?
2. Dunbar Hardware, a national hardware chain, is considering purchasing a smaller chain, Eastern Hardware. Dunbar's analysts project that the merger will result in incremental free flows and interest tax savings with a combined present value of $92.52 million, and they have determined that the appropriate discount rate for valuing Eastern is 16%. Eastern has 4 million shares outstanding and no debt. Eastern's current stock price is $16.25. What is the maximum price per share that Dunbar should offer and why this price, explain your offer price?