🏢 Corporate Issuers

WACC Formula — Weighted Average Cost of Capital Explained

How to calculate WACC: cost of equity, cost of debt, and capital structure weights. Weighted average cost of capital formula with examples.

Key Concepts

WACC

Weighted average cost of capital = w<sub>d</sub>r<sub>d</sub>(1-t) + w<sub>e</sub>r<sub>e</sub>. Blended cost of debt and equity financing.

MM Proposition I (no taxes)

Capital structure is irrelevant to firm value in perfect markets. V<sub>L</sub> = V<sub>U</sub>.

Premium +4 more

Free covers one Quants module. Premium opens all 10 subjects and 59 modules of CFA Level 1.

Formulas

From this module

WACC

WACC = wd × rd × (1-t) + we × re

Where: w = weight, r<sub>d</sub> = cost of debt, r<sub>e</sub> = cost of equity, t = tax rate

MM Prop I (with taxes)

VL = VU + t × D

Where: Tax shield increases levered firm value

Premium +2 more

Free covers one Quants module. Premium opens all 10 subjects and 59 modules of CFA Level 1.

Master Formula Sheet -- Corporate Issuers

NPV

NPV = Σ[CFₜ / (1+r)ᵗ] - Initial Investment

Accept if NPV > 0

IRR

Rate where NPV = 0

Accept if IRR > required return

Premium +7 more

80+ formulas from all 10 subjects in one place — edit and save your own version.

Decision Frameworks

More debt or more equity?

Use when:

  • More debt: stable cash flows, high tax rate, low financial distress costs (e.g., utilities)
  • More equity: volatile cash flows, high growth, significant intangible assets (e.g., tech)

Avoid when:

  • Too much debt for cyclical businesses — financial distress costs dominate

Test Your Understanding

Given: D/V=30%, E/V=70%, r<sub>d</sub>=6%, r<sub>e</sub>=14%, tax=25%. WACC is closest to:

Ready to study WACC Formula — Weighted Average Cost of Capital Explained?

Jump into the full module with cheat sheets, flashcards, mind maps, and practice questions.

Start Studying

No signup required. Create an account anytime to save progress.