You are a consultant who has been hired to evaluate a new product line for Markum Enterprises. The upfront investment required to launch the product line is $5 million. The product will generate free cash flow of $0.80 million the first year, and this free cash flow is expected to grow at a rate of 6% per year. Markum has an equity cost of capital of 11.4%, a debt cost of capital of 4.88%, and a tax rate of 38%. Markum maintains a debt-equity ratio of 0.80.
a. What is the NPV of the new product line (including any tax shields from leverage)?
b. How much debt will Markum initially take on as a result of launching this product line?
c. How much of the product line's value is attributable to the present value of interest tax shields?