Corporate Finance: cram pack

Formula sheets, the key method steps for every topic and 10 practice problems, with full solutions at the back.

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1Formulas and methods

Time value of money

Future value
FV = PV·(1 + i)n
Present value
PV = FV/(1 + i)n
Several periods per year
i = r/m, N = m·n
Annuity, present value
PV = PMT·[1 − (1 + i)−n]/i
Annuity, future value
FV = PMT·[(1 + i)n − 1]/i

Method

  1. Draw a timeline with every cash flow and its timing.
  2. Match the rate to the period: a monthly rate for monthly payments.
  3. Use FV = PV·(1 + i)ⁿ for single amounts and the annuity formulas for equal payments.
  4. Check the sign and the order of magnitude of the answer.

NPV & IRR

Net present value
NPV = −C0 + Σ CFt/(1 + r)t
Equal cash flows
NPV = −C0 + CF·[1 − (1 + r)−n]/r
Internal rate of return
the r at which NPV = 0
Decision
accept when NPV > 0 (or IRR > required return)

Method

  1. List all cash flows with their year; the investment at year 0 is negative.
  2. Discount each cash flow: CFt/(1 + r)t.
  3. Add them up to get the NPV. Positive means the project earns more than r.
  4. For the IRR, find the rate that makes NPV zero by trial or interpolation.

Bond pricing & yield

Bond price
P = C·(1 − (1 + y)−n)/y + F/(1 + y)n
Semi-annual
C/2, y/2 and 2n periods
Current yield
C/P
Price and yield
yield up → price down

Method

  1. Find the coupon per period and the yield per period.
  2. Price = present value of the coupons (an annuity) + present value of the face value.
  3. For semi-annual coupons use half the coupon, half the yield and twice the periods.
  4. Check: if the yield is above the coupon rate, the price is below face value.

CAPM & WACC

CAPM
re = rf + β·(rm − rf)
WACC
E/V·re + D/V·rd·(1 − T)
Firm value
V = E + D

Break-even analysis

Contribution margin
CM = p − v
Break-even quantity
QBE = FC/(p − v)
Target profit
Q = (FC + profit)/(p − v)
Profit
π = (p − v)·Q − FC
Margin of safety
(Q − QBE)/Q

2Practice problems

1.Time value of moneyMedium
years0123…17€20 000FV = ?

You invest €20 000 at 2% per year with continuous compounding. Find the value FV after 17 years.

PV = €20 000r = 2%t = 17
FV = €
2.Time value of moneyHard
months0123…300€250 000A?AAA

A loan of €250 000 is repaid with equal monthly payments over 25 years. The interest rate is 3% per year, compounded monthly. Find the monthly payment A.

P = €250 0003% / 12N = 300
A = €
3.NPV & IRRMedium
years01234−75 00032 00027 00032 00029 000

An investment of €75 000 gives these cash flows at the end of years 1 to 4: €32 000, €27 000, €32 000, €29 000. The cost of capital is 7.000000000000001%. Find the net present value NPV.

r = 7.000000000000001%CF0 = −75 000CF1 = 32 000CF2 = 27 000CF3 = 32 000CF4 = 29 000
NPV = €
4.NPV & IRRHard
years0123−50 00036 00019 50026 000

A project costs €50 000 and returns €36 000, €19 500, €26 000 at the end of years 1 to 3. Find its internal rate of return IRR in percent.

CF0 = −50 000CF1 = 36 000CF2 = 19 500CF3 = 26 000
IRR = %
5.Bond pricing & yieldMedium
half-years0123…20€22.50€22.50€22.50 + €1 000P = ?

A bond with a face value of €1 000 pays a 4.5% annual coupon in two half-yearly payments and matures in 10 years. The yield to maturity is 2.5% per year. Find the price P of the bond.

F = €1 000coupon = 4.5%YTM = 2.5%n = 10
P = €
6.Bond pricing & yieldHard
years0123…9€1 080€30€30 + €1 000

A bond with a face value of €1 000 and an annual coupon of 3% matures in 9 years and sells for €1 080. Find its yield to maturity YTM in percent.

F = €1 000coupon = 3%n = 9P = €1 080
YTM = %
7.CAPM & WACCMedium
WACC = ?equityEre​ = 9%debtD = 0.25·Erd​ = 4.5%T = 20%

A company has a debt-to-equity ratio (at market values) of 0.25. Its cost of equity is 9%, its pre-tax cost of debt is 4.5% and the tax rate is 20%. Find the WACC.

D/E = 0.25re = 9%rd = 4.5%T = 20%
WACC = %
8.CAPM & WACCHard
WACC = ?equity5 000 000 × €58.00β = 1.2rf​ = 1.5%, rm​ = 5.5%debt40 000 × €960rd​ = 7%T = 25%

A company has 5 000 000 shares at €58.00 each and 40 000 bonds trading at €960 each. The pre-tax cost of debt is 7% and the tax rate is 25%. The share’s beta is 1.2, the risk-free rate 1.5% and the market return 5.5%. Find the WACC.

β = 1.2rf = 1.5%rm = 5.5%rd = 7%T = 25%
WACC = %
9.Break-even analysisMedium
Q€revenuetotal costfixed costQ = ?

A product sells for €24 per unit with a variable cost of €4 per unit. Fixed costs are €24 000 per month. How many units Q must be sold per month to make a profit of €5 000?

F = €24 000p = €24v = €4profit = €5 000
Q = units
10.Break-even analysisHard
Q€revenuetotal costfixed costBE

A product sells for €9 per unit, with a variable cost of €6 per unit and fixed costs of €6 000 per year. Budgeted sales are 3 000 units. Find the margin of safety MS as a percentage of budgeted sales.

F = €6 000p = €9v = €6budget = 3 000
MS = %

3Solutions

1.Time value of money

Answer: FV = 28099 €

Time value of money: money today is worth more than the same amount later, because it can earn interest. With interest rate i per period, an amount grows as FV = PV·(1 + i)n. A series of equal payments (an annuity) is valued by adding up each payment, which gives the annuity formulas.

Exponent

r·t = 0.02·17 = 0.34
e0.34 = 1.405

Future value

FV = 20 000·1.405 = €28 098.95

Answer

FV = €28 098.95
2.Time value of money

Answer: A = 1186 €

Time value of money: money today is worth more than the same amount later, because it can earn interest. With interest rate i per period, an amount grows as FV = PV·(1 + i)n. A series of equal payments (an annuity) is valued by adding up each payment, which gives the annuity formulas.

Monthly rate and number of payments

i = 0.03/12 = 0.0025
N = 12·25 = 300

Payment

The present value of N equal payments A is A·(1 − (1 + i)⁻ᴺ)/i. Set it equal to the loan and solve for A.

(1 + i)−N = 0.4728
A = 250 000·0.0025/(1 − 0.4728) = €1 185.53

Answer

A = €1 185.53
3.NPV & IRR

Answer: NPV = 26735 €

Net present value: discount every cash flow back to today with the required rate of return r, then add them up: NPV = Σ CFₜ/(1 + r)ᵗ. A project with NPV > 0 earns more than r and adds value. The internal rate of return (IRR) is the rate at which NPV = 0.

Present value of each cash flow

CF0 = −75 000
CF1/(1 + 0.07)1 = 32 000/1.07 = 29 906.54
CF2/(1 + 0.07)2 = 27 000/1.145 = 23 582.85
CF3/(1 + 0.07)3 = 32 000/1.225 = 26 121.53
CF4/(1 + 0.07)4 = 29 000/1.311 = 22 123.96

Add them up

NPV = €26 734.88

Answer

NPV = €26 734.88

NPV is positive, so the project earns more than the required return.

4.NPV & IRR

Answer: IRR = 31.64 %

Net present value: discount every cash flow back to today with the required rate of return r, then add them up: NPV = Σ CFₜ/(1 + r)ᵗ. A project with NPV > 0 earns more than r and adds value. The internal rate of return (IRR) is the rate at which NPV = 0.

Bracket the IRR

NPV falls as the rate rises, so the IRR lies between a rate with positive NPV and one with negative NPV.

NPV(30%) = 1 065.09
NPV(35%) = −2 066.25

Narrow down

Linear interpolation gives a first estimate; repeating it (or a calculator's IRR function) gives the exact rate.

IRR ≈ 30 + 5·1 065.09/(1 065.09 − (−2 066.25)) = 31.7%
exact: NPV(31.64%) = 0 → IRR = 31.64%

Answer

IRR = 31.64%
5.Bond pricing & yield

Answer: P = 1176 €

Bond pricing: a bond’s price is the present value of its cash flows, discounted at the yield to maturity (YTM): the coupons form an annuity and the face value is paid back at maturity. P = C·(1 − (1 + y)⁻ⁿ)/y + F/(1 + y)ⁿ. When the yield is above the coupon rate the bond trades below face value, and the other way round.

Per period

C = €22.50, i = 0.0125, N = 20

Present value of the coupons

€22.50·(1 − 0.78)/0.0125 = €395.98

Present value of the face value

€1 000·0.78 = €780.01

Price

P = €1 175.99

Answer

P = €1 175.99

The yield is below the coupon rate, so the bond sells at a premium.

6.Bond pricing & yield

Answer: YTM = 2.019 %

Bond pricing: a bond’s price is the present value of its cash flows, discounted at the yield to maturity (YTM): the coupons form an annuity and the face value is paid back at maturity. P = C·(1 − (1 + y)⁻ⁿ)/y + F/(1 + y)ⁿ. When the yield is above the coupon rate the bond trades below face value, and the other way round.

Equation for the yield

€1 080 = €30·(1 − (1 + y)⁻⁹)/y + €1 000/(1 + y)⁹

Solve numerically

P(2%) = €1 081.62, P(3%) = €1 000.00
YTM = 2.019%

Answer

YTM = 2.019%
7.CAPM & WACC

Answer: WACC = 7.92 %

Cost of capital: CAPM gives the return shareholders require: re = rf + β·(rm − rf). The weighted average cost of capital mixes equity and debt by their market values: WACC = E/V·re + D/V·rd·(1 − T), with V = E + D. Interest is tax-deductible, hence the (1 − T).

Weights from D/E

E/V = 1/(1 + 0.25) = 0.8
D/V = 0.25/(1 + 0.25) = 0.2

WACC

WACC = 0.8·9% + 0.2·4.5%·(1 − 0.2) = 7.92%

Answer

WACC = 7.92%
8.CAPM & WACC

Answer: WACC = 6.177 %

Cost of capital: CAPM gives the return shareholders require: re = rf + β·(rm − rf). The weighted average cost of capital mixes equity and debt by their market values: WACC = E/V·re + D/V·rd·(1 − T), with V = E + D. Interest is tax-deductible, hence the (1 − T).

Market values

E = 5 000 000·€58.00 = €290 000 000
D = 40 000·€960 = €38 400 000

Cost of equity (CAPM)

re = 1.5% + 1.2·4% = 6.3%

Weights

V = €328 400 000, E/V = 0.8831, D/V = 0.1169

WACC

WACC = 0.8831·6.3% + 0.1169·7%·(1 − 0.25) = 6.177%

Answer

WACC = 6.177%
9.Break-even analysis

Answer: Q = 1450 units

Cost-volume-profit: each unit sold earns a contribution margin, price minus variable cost per unit. Profit = Q·(p − v) − F, where F is the fixed cost. At the break-even point profit is zero, so Q = F/(p − v).

Contribution margin per unit

p − v = 24 − 4 = €20

Units for the target profit

Q = (F + profit)/(p − v) = (24 000 + 5 000)/20 = 1 450

Answer

Q = 1 450 units
10.Break-even analysis

Answer: MS = 33.33 %

Cost-volume-profit: each unit sold earns a contribution margin, price minus variable cost per unit. Profit = Q·(p − v) − F, where F is the fixed cost. At the break-even point profit is zero, so Q = F/(p − v).

Break-even quantity

Q = F/(p − v) = 6 000/3 = 2 000

Margin of safety

MS = (3 000 − 2 000)/3 000·100 = 33.33%

Answer

MS = 33.33%

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