Pioneer Petroleum Case Analysis
Pioneer Petroleum Cases Analysis
The Problem: Pioneer Petroleum Corporation (PPC) has two major problems that are interfering with the goal of the firm to maximize shareholder wealth. The first is that PPC has been calculating their weighted average cost of capital incorrectly, by incorrectly calculating their after tax cost of debt and their cost of equity. This miscalculation has subjected PPC to more risk and has hurt the company’s ability to make appropriate investment decisions. This has also led PPC to accepting investment decisions that should not have been included within their acceptable range. Second, PPC has been using a single company-wide rate for their multi-divisional company. In either instance the company is not maximizing wealth.
Statement of Facts and Assumptions: PPC has been calculating their after tax cost of debt using the coupon rate of 12% instead of the actual interest rate which is 8%. Taking the 8% interest rate into account, PPC’s actual cost of capital would be calculated as: [.08(1-.34)]= 5.28%. PPC has simply been using 10% (their equity growth rate) as their cost, but must instead either use the CAPM model to calculate their cost of equity, or the Dividend-growth model. If they use the CAPM model, which is the most accurate, their cost of equity will be: .078+.8(.1625-.078)=14.56%. Or they can use the Dividend-growth model and their cost of equity would be: (2.7/63)+.1=14.29%. Both are acceptable but, because the Dividend-growth model is subjective, and the coupon rate (that PPC was originally using is a sunk cost, they should use the market rate). Thus using the market rate to calculate CAPM you use the Beta and market risk premium which are both based on the market rate and more accurate. Finally, their company WACC of 9% that they have calculated is incorrect and given the above calculations, their WACC using CAPM would be: [5.28(.5)+14.6(.5)]=9.94% and their WACC using Dividend-growth would be:
The Problem: Pioneer Petroleum Corporation (PPC) has two major problems that are interfering with the goal of the firm to maximize shareholder wealth. The first is that PPC has been calculating their weighted average cost of capital incorrectly, by incorrectly calculating their after tax cost of debt and their cost of equity. This miscalculation has subjected PPC to more risk and has hurt the company’s ability to make appropriate investment decisions. This has also led PPC to accepting investment decisions that should not have been included within their acceptable range. Second, PPC has been using a single company-wide rate for their multi-divisional company. In either instance the company is not maximizing wealth.
Statement of Facts and Assumptions: PPC has been calculating their after tax cost of debt using the coupon rate of 12% instead of the actual interest rate which is 8%. Taking the 8% interest rate into account, PPC’s actual cost of capital would be calculated as: [.08(1-.34)]= 5.28%. PPC has simply been using 10% (their equity growth rate) as their cost, but must instead either use the CAPM model to calculate their cost of equity, or the Dividend-growth model. If they use the CAPM model, which is the most accurate, their cost of equity will be: .078+.8(.1625-.078)=14.56%. Or they can use the Dividend-growth model and their cost of equity would be: (2.7/63)+.1=14.29%. Both are acceptable but, because the Dividend-growth model is subjective, and the coupon rate (that PPC was originally using is a sunk cost, they should use the market rate). Thus using the market rate to calculate CAPM you use the Beta and market risk premium which are both based on the market rate and more accurate. Finally, their company WACC of 9% that they have calculated is incorrect and given the above calculations, their WACC using CAPM would be: [5.28(.5)+14.6(.5)]=9.94% and their WACC using Dividend-growth would be: