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…16€1 000FV = ?

You invest €1 000 at 5% per year with continuous compounding. Find the value FV after 16 years.

PV = €1 000r = 5%t = 16
FV = €
2.Time value of moneyHard
months0123…204A?AA€100 000

You want €100 000 in 17 years. You save the same amount at the end of every month in an account paying 6% per year, compounded monthly. Find the monthly deposit A.

FV = €100 0006% / 12N = 204
A = €
3.NPV & IRRMedium
years0123…9−200 00013 000+3%+3%…r = 8%, NPV = ?

A project costs €200 000 today. It generates €13 000 at the end of the first year, and the cash flow then grows by 3% per year forever. The cost of capital is 8%. Find the net present value NPV.

C0 = €200 000CF1 = €13 000g = 3%r = 8%
NPV = €
4.NPV & IRRHard
years0123−20 00011 0008 5009 000

A project costs €20 000 and returns €11 000, €8 500, €9 000 at the end of years 1 to 3. Find its internal rate of return IRR in percent.

CF0 = −20 000CF1 = 11 000CF2 = 8 500CF3 = 9 000
IRR = %
5.Bond pricing & yieldMedium
years0123…8€1 095C = ?C = ?C = ? + €1 000

A bond with a face value of €1 000 matures in 8 years and pays annual coupons. It sells for €1 095 when the yield to maturity is 5.5%. Find the coupon rate c in percent.

F = €1 000n = 8P = €1 095YTM = 5.5%
c = %
6.Bond pricing & yieldHard

A bond trades at €1 100 with a yield to maturity of 7% (annual compounding) and a Macaulay duration of 4.1 years. Use the modified duration to estimate the new price P if the yield rises by 75 basis points.

P0 = €1 100y = 7%D = 4.1Δy = +75 bp
P = €
7.CAPM & WACCMedium
βr (%)SMLrf​ = 2.5%β = 1rm​ = ?β = 0.6re​ = 5.5%

A share with a beta of 0.6 has a required return of 5.5%. The risk-free rate is 2.5%. What expected market return rm does CAPM imply?

β = 0.6re = 5.5%rf = 2.5%
rm = %
8.CAPM & WACCHard
WACC = ?equity2 500 000 × €22.00β = 1.5rf​ = 3.5%, rm​ = 9%debt10 000 × €1 000rd​ = 4.5%T = 25.8%

A company has 2 500 000 shares at €22.00 each and 10 000 bonds trading at €1 000 each. The pre-tax cost of debt is 4.5% and the tax rate is 25.8%. The share’s beta is 1.5, the risk-free rate 3.5% and the market return 9%. Find the WACC.

β = 1.5rf = 3.5%rm = 9%rd = 4.5%T = 25.8%
WACC = %
9.Break-even analysisMedium
Q€revenuetotal costfixed cost1280

A company sells 1 280 units at €40 each. The variable cost is €30 per unit and fixed costs are €8 000. Find the degree of operating leverage DOL at this sales level.

Q = 1 280p = €40v = €30F = €8 000
DOL =
10.Break-even analysisHard
Q€revenuetotal costfixed costBE

A product sells for €8 per unit, with a variable cost of €6 per unit and fixed costs of €2 000 per year. Budgeted sales are 1 500 units. Find the margin of safety MS as a percentage of budgeted sales.

F = €2 000p = €8v = €6budget = 1 500
MS = %

3Solutions

1.Time value of money

Answer: FV = 2226 €

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 = 0.05·16 = 0.8
e0.8 = 2.226

Future value

FV = 1 000·2.226 = €2 225.54

Answer

FV = €2 225.54
2.Time value of money

Answer: A = 283.1 €

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 deposits

i = 0.06/12 = 0.005
N = 12·17 = 204

Deposit

A = FV·i/((1 + i)N − 1) = 100 000·0.005/(2.766 − 1) = €283.10

Answer

A = €283.10
3.NPV & IRR

Answer: NPV = 60000 €

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.

Value of the cash flows

PV = 13 000/(0.08 − 0.03) = 260 000.00

NPV

NPV = 260 000.00 − 200 000 = €60 000.00

Answer

NPV = €60 000.00

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

4.NPV & IRR

Answer: IRR = 20.92 %

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(20%) = 277.78
NPV(25%) = −1 152.00

Narrow down

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

IRR ≈ 20 + 5·277.78/(277.78 − (−1 152.00)) = 20.97%
exact: NPV(20.92%) = 0 → IRR = 20.92%

Answer

IRR = 20.92%
5.Bond pricing & yield

Answer: c = 7 %

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.

Present value of the face value

1000·(1 + 0.055)−8 = €651.60

Coupon

C = (1095 − 651.60)/6.335 = €70.00

Coupon rate

c = 70/1000 = 7%

Answer

c = 7%
6.Bond pricing & yield

Answer: P = 1068 €

Duration: the Macaulay duration is the weighted average time at which a bond pays its cash flows, with the present values of the cash flows as weights: D = Σ t·PVₜ/P. The modified duration D/(1 + y) estimates the percentage price change for a small change in yield: %ΔP ≈ −Dmod·Δy.

Modified duration

Dmod = 4.1/1.07 = 3.832

Estimated price change

%ΔP ≈ −3.832·(0.0075) = −2.874%
P ≈ 1100·(1 − 0.02874) = €1 068.39

Answer

P = €1 068.39

Duration is a linear estimate; for large yield changes convexity makes the true price a little higher.

7.CAPM & WACC

Answer: rm = 7.5 %

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 risk premium

rm − rf = (5.5% − 2.5%)/0.6 = 5%

Market return

rm = 2.5% + 5% = 7.5%

Answer

rm = 7.5%
8.CAPM & WACC

Answer: WACC = 10.46 %

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 = 2 500 000·€22.00 = €55 000 000
D = 10 000·€1 000 = €10 000 000

Cost of equity (CAPM)

re = 3.5% + 1.5·5.5% = 11.75%

Weights

V = €65 000 000, E/V = 0.8462, D/V = 0.1538

WACC

WACC = 0.8462·11.75% + 0.1538·4.5%·(1 − 0.258) = 10.46%

Answer

WACC = 10.46%
9.Break-even analysis

Answer: DOL = 2.667

Operating leverage: fixed costs make profit react more strongly than sales. The degree of operating leverage DOL = contribution margin/operating profit tells you that a 1% change in sales changes profit by DOL %. It is very high just above break-even and falls as sales grow.

Total contribution margin

CM = 1 280·(40 − 30) = €12 800

Operating profit

Π = 12 800 − 8 000 = €4 800

DOL

DOL = 12 800/4 800 = 2.667

Answer

DOL = 2.667
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) = 2 000/2 = 1 000

Margin of safety

MS = (1 500 − 1 000)/1 500·100 = 33.33%

Answer

MS = 33.33%

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