Practice Problems – Chapter 4

 

1.         The Trans-Pacific Utility Co.'s stock is expected to pay constant annual dividends of $2.50 per share forever.  If the discount rate for the stock is 9% per year,

a) what is the stock price today?

b) what is the expected stock price at the end of one year?

 

2.         Sam’s Spades Co. had earnings per share last year of $3.50 and they paid a dividend last year of $1.40.   Assume their payout ratio remains constant, and their ROE is also constant at 15%.  If their required return is 12% per year, what is the stock price today?

 

3.         Bootle Investments is expected to pay the following dividends for the next three years:

                                    Time                  1           2           3

                                    Dividend          0.90     1.05      1.16

After time 3, dividends will grow at a constant rate of 8% per year.  If the required return on the stock is 16% per year, what should the stock price be today?       

 

4.         The Taj Mahal Corp.’s shares are selling for $65.  Their dividend last year was $3.28.  If their plowback ratio is 50% and ROE is 20%, what is the required return for the stock?

 

5.          Anabolic Steroid Inc., being a growth company, currently reinvests all its earnings and does not pay any dividends.  It is expected to pay the following dividends over the next four years:

                        Time                1            2           3               4

                        Dividend          0            0         0.50         1.00 

After time 4, dividends will grow at a constant rate of 6% per year.  If the required return on the stock is 14% per year, what should be the stock price today (time 0)?

 

6.            Peculiar Pumpkins Corporation is expected to pay a dividend of $2.50 next year. Its dividends are expected to grow at 8% for the next three years, and at a constant rate of 4% forever thereafter.  What is the price of its stock today, if the discount rate for the stock is 12%?                                                                                             (15 points)

 

7.         Stop-n-Rob Convenience Stores Inc. has the following stream of expected future dividends.  Initially, dividends will decline as the company reinvests most of its earnings in new projects.  From the fourth year onwards, dividends will start to increase again, as the new projects start contributing profits.

            Time                   1           2            3           4             5           6

            Dividend          1.60      1.40       1.30      2.00        2.50       3.00

After time 6, dividends will grow at a constant rate of 10% per year.  If the required return on the stock is 14% per year,

a) what price should the stock sell for today?

b) what is your expected return if you buy the stock today and hold it for four years?

 

8.          Ptolemy’s Ptennisnets Corp. generates a perpetuity of $8.50 per year from its existing assets.  Every year they pay out 70% of these earnings, and reinvest the remaining 30% at a return of 15%.  If their required return is 12%,

a) What is their stock price?

b) How much of this is PVGO?

c) If they had no positive NPV investments, but they still maintained a payout ratio of 70%, how much would they earn on their reinvestment?  What growth rate would they have?

 

9.         CSI has a 10% ROE and reinvests 40% of its earnings each year.  Their expected dividend next year is $4, and the stock is selling for $100 today.

a) What is the expected return on the stock?

b) What is the expected EPS next year?

c) What proportion of today’s stock price consists of PVGO?

d) Suppose CSI is able to scale up the size of their positive NPV investment opportunities.  Instead of reinvesting 40% of their earnings each year they are able to reinvest 60% instead (still at a 10% ROE).  How does this affect their stock price today?  What is the percentage increase in PVGO?

 

10.         The Warshawski Paper Works is expected to pay a dividend of $2.22 next year.  It has a dividend yield of 8%.  Each year it pays out 65% of its earnings; on the 35% that is reinvested, it earns a return of 16%.

a) What is WPW’s growth rate?

b) What is their required return?

c) What is the stock price today?

d) How much of this is the PV of existing assets, and how much is PVGO?                                                  (15 points)

 

11.         Newbie Inc. is a start-up firm with a required return of 15%.  They will invest $40 per share today, and earn 30% on this investment the first year.  For two years, they will pay out 10% of their earnings and retain 90%.  And they will continue to earn 30% on their assets.  However after two years, the payout ratio will increase to 60% and the return on assets will drop to 20% (all assets, old and new).  These rates will stay constant forever.

a) Make a table showing the firm’s dividend per share for the first 5 years

b) Compute the value of Newbie’s shares today

c) What is Newbie’s PVGO?                                                                                                                          (25 points)

 

(Clarifications and hints: 

·        What is invested at time 0 earns 30% for 2 years and then 20% thereafter.  What is invested at time 1 earns 30% for one year and then 20% thereafter. What is invested at time 2 and later earns 20% forever.

·        Newbie’s existing assets today consist of the initial investment of $40 per share.  In other words, “today” is time 0, after this investment has been made. 

·        PV of the existing assets is the PV of the earnings expected to be generated by the existing assets. This has to be computed given that the future earnings from the existing assets are not a perpetuity.)

 

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