Option #$1$: Valuing Stocks Paper For this assignment you will use multiple valuation methods to value the stock for a company of your choice. Using Yahoo! FinanceLinks to an external site., select a company which pays dividends, has positive EPS for the current and next year$$s reported results. The current year may be the prior calendar year but financial results may not yet be reported. For example in January of $2024$ the current year, for a December fiscal year company, is $2023$ as results are not yet reported. You will need a company paying dividends and a positive EPS on common shares to be able to apply the models. For the exercises, assume a required rate of growth of $15\%,$ where applicable. Calculate the growth in EPS from the current year to the next year$$s average estimates from analysts. That will be the growth rate for earning and you may assume that dividends grow at the same rate. If the growth rate exceeds $12\%,$ use $12\%$ instead. You will assume these rates continue as a perpetuity if the model requires. Finally, note the recent Price$-$earnings $($P$/$E ratio$)$ for the company. Using the most recent annual dividends and EPS calculate the following numbers: The stock value using the Constant Growth Model The stock value using the Zero$-$Growth Model $($ignore analyst forecasts$)$ Using the forecasted EPS and the recent P$/$E ratio, what will the stock be worth in a year? Also calculate the value assuming P$/$E ratios of $10$ and $25.$ Answer the following questions: How do the numbers above vary and why? What factors impact stock prices? Address both company and external factors. What impacts P$/$E ratios $($why do they vary between companies and over time$)?$ What is Free$-$cash flow? How can it be used to value stocks?