Kirksville Inc. has 1,500 bonds outstanding that are selling for $932 each. The bonds carry a 5.0 percent coupon, pay interest semi-annually, and mature in 12.5 years. The company also has 11,500 shares of 6% preferred stock at a market price of $30 per share. This month, the company paid an annual dividend in the amount of $1.50 per share. The dividend growth rate is 4.0 percent. The common stock is priced at $30 a share and there are 35,500 shares outstanding. The company is considering a project that is equally as risky as the overall company. This project has initial costs of $600,000 and operating cash flows of $150,000 a year for the next 10 years and salvage value of $15,000 at the end of 10 years. The net working capital (NWC) is expected to increase by $10,000 a year until the end of the project life. The project will be depreciated straight-line to zero over the project’s 10-year life. The tax rate is 40%.
a) What is Kirksville’s weighted average cost of capital?
b) What is the net present value (NPV) of this project? Should you accept the project? Explain why.
c) What is the internal rate of return (IRR) of this project? Should you accept the project if you apply the IRR decision rule?