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The weighted average cost of capital is not quite right

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  • Miller, Richard A.

Abstract

A firm's cost of capital used in discounted cash flow analysis is commonly calculated as a weighted average of the after tax costs of the firm's various sources of financing (equity, debt, preferred stock). Its use implies that for investment projects earning precisely the WACC the cash (in)flow is exactly sufficient to reward all the suppliers of finance with their respective costs of capital. However, the necessary cash flow (normal profit) implied by the WACC is inadequate to provide the cash flows to the individual sources of financing when they are considered separately. This note discusses the problem (WACC is a linear approximation of a nonlinear relationship) and presents a modification of the WACC which is conceptually superior to the WACC as commonly calculated.

Suggested Citation

  • Miller, Richard A., 2009. "The weighted average cost of capital is not quite right," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(1), pages 128-138, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:quaeco:v:49:y:2009:i:1:p:128-138
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jianjun Miao, 2005. "Optimal Capital Structure and Industry Dynamics," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(6), pages 2621-2659, December.
    2. Mark T. Leary & Michael R. Roberts, 2005. "Do Firms Rebalance Their Capital Structures?," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(6), pages 2575-2619, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Tor Brunzell & Eva Liljeblom & Mika Vaihekoski, 2013. "Determinants of capital budgeting methods and hurdle rates in Nordic firms," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 53(1), pages 85-110, March.
    2. Demetri Tsanacas, 2022. "Valuation Challenges in High Tech Platform Based Corporations," International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), International Journal of Economics & Business Administration (IJEBA), vol. 0(1), pages 89-100.
    3. Keef, Stephen P & Khaled, Mohammed S & Roush, Melvin L, 2011. "A note resolving the debate on “The weighted average cost of capital is not quite rightâ€," Working Paper Series 2003, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    4. Zbysław Dobrowolski & Grzegorz Drozdowski & Mirela Panait & Simona Andreea Apostu, 2022. "The Weighted Average Cost of Capital and Its Universality in Crisis Times: Evidence from the Energy Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-15, September.
    5. Fabrizio Cacciafesta, 2015. "Using the WACC to rate a new project," CEIS Research Paper 339, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 10 Apr 2015.
    6. Justyna Franc-Dąbrowska & Magdalena Mądra-Sawicka & Anna Milewska, 2021. "Energy Sector Risk and Cost of Capital Assessment—Companies and Investors Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    7. Keef, Stephen P. & Khaled, Mohammed S. & Roush, Melvin L., 2012. "A note resolving the debate on “The weighted average cost of capital is not quite right”," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 52(4), pages 438-442.
    8. Keef, Stephen P & Khaled, Mohammed S & Roush, Melvin L, 2011. "A note resolving the debate on “The weighted average cost of capital is not quite right”," Working Paper Series 18609, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    9. Keef, Stephen P & Khaled, Mohammed S & Roush, Melvin L, 2011. "Miller's (2009) WACC model: An extension," Working Paper Series 1995, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.
    10. Bade, Benjamin, 2009. "Comment on "The weighted average cost of capital is not quite right"," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 1476-1480, November.
    11. Aulová, R. & Frydlova, M., 2012. "EVA and its Determinants for Selected Groups of Farms: Conventional and Organic Farming," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 4(3), pages 1-11, September.
    12. Sumiyana Sumiyana & Ainun Na’im & Firdaus Kurniawan & Albertus H. L. Nugroho, 2023. "Earnings management and financial distress or soundness determining CEOs’ future over- and under-investment decisions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Pierru, Axel, 2009. ""The weighted average cost of capital is not quite right": A comment," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 1219-1223, August.
    14. Keef, Stephen P & Khaled, Mohammed S & Roush, Melvin L, 2011. "Miller's (2009) WACC model: An extension," Working Paper Series 18608, Victoria University of Wellington, School of Economics and Finance.

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