Northwest Utility Company faces increasing needs for capital. Fortunately, it has an Aa3 credit rating. The...

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Northwest Utility Company faces increasing needs for capital. Fortunately, it has an Aa3 credit rating. The corporate tax rate is 40 percent. Northwest's treasurer is trying to determine the corporation's current weighted average cost of capital in order to assess the profitability of capital budgeting projects. Historically, the corporation's earnings and dividends per share have increased about 7.8 percent annually and this should continue in the future. Northwest's common stock is selling at $85 per share, and the company will pay a $7.40 per share dividend (D). The company's $138 preferred stock has been yielding 6 percent in the current market. Flotation costs for the company have been estimated by its investment banker to be $3.00 for preferred stock. The company's optimum capital structure is 55 percent debt, 20 percent preferred stock, and 25 percent common equity in the form of retained earnings. Refer to the following table on bond issues for comparative yields on bonds of equal risk to Northwest. Data on Bond Issues Moody's Rating Price Yield to Maturity Utilitions Southwest electric power-7 1/4 2023 Pacific bell-7 3/8 2025 A2 $1,000.18 8.84% Aal 912.25 8.33 Pennsylvania power & light-8 1/2 2022 A2 995.66 9.00 Industrialas Johnson & Johnson-6 3/4 2023 Asa 920.24 8.44 Dillard's Department Stores 7 1/8 2023 A2 990.92 8.77 Marriott Corp.-10 2015 12 1,140.101 9.66 a. Compute the cost of debt, Ka (Use the accompanying table-relate to the utility bond credit rating for yield.) (Do not round Intermediate calculations. Input your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.) Northwest Utility Company faces increasing needs for capital. Fortunately, it has an Aa3 credit rating. The corporate tax rate is 40 percent. Northwest's treasurer is trying to determine the corporation's current weighted average cost of capital in order to assess the profitability of capital budgeting projects. Historically, the corporation's earnings and dividends per share have increased about 7.8 percent annually and this should continue in the future. Northwest's common stock is selling at $85 per share, and the company will pay a $7.40 per share dividend (D). The company's $138 preferred stock has been yielding 6 percent in the current market. Flotation costs for the company have been estimated by its investment banker to be $3.00 for preferred stock. The company's optimum capital structure is 55 percent debt, 20 percent preferred stock, and 25 percent common equity in the form of retained earnings. Refer to the following table on bond issues for comparative yields on bonds of equal risk to Northwest. Data on Bond Issues Moody's Rating Price Yield to Maturity Utilitions Southwest electric power-7 1/4 2023 Pacific bell-7 3/8 2025 A2 $1,000.18 8.84% Aal 912.25 8.33 Pennsylvania power & light-8 1/2 2022 A2 995.66 9.00 Industrialas Johnson & Johnson-6 3/4 2023 Asa 920.24 8.44 Dillard's Department Stores 7 1/8 2023 A2 990.92 8.77 Marriott Corp.-10 2015 12 1,140.101 9.66 a. Compute the cost of debt, Ka (Use the accompanying table-relate to the utility bond credit rating for yield.) (Do not round Intermediate calculations. Input your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.)