One year ago Copest Inc., issued $100 million of 11-year bonds with a 9% coupon

One year ago Copest Inc., issued $100 million of 11-year bonds with a 9% coupon, payable annually. The first couponpayment has just been paid. The bonds are callable at 103 beginning today. Floatation costs on that issue were $1 million.Copest has a 34% marginal tax rate.:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Since interest rates have fallen, Copest is considering calling in the bonds and refinancing at current rates. It has two,ten-year, financing altematives.

1) A $100 million public issue of 8% annual coupon bonds. Flotation costs would be $1 million.

2) An 8%, $100 million private placement with semi-annual coupons. There would be a front-end placement fee of$250,000.

Note: Call premiums and interest payments are tax deductible. However, front-end fees and floatation costs must be capitalized andamortized over the life of the bond.

Questions:

a) Calculate the effective cost of raising funds from the public bond issue. Use the IRR

procedure for all your calculations.

b) Calculate the effective cost of raising funds from the private placement of debt.

c) If Copest does call in the bonds, which of the two refinancing alternatives is preferable?

d) What is the effective, after-tax cost of leaving the existing bonds in place?

In other words, what would be the after-tax ali-in cost of refinancing that would make Copest indifferent between callingthe bonds and leaving them in place?

e) Should Copest call in the bonds?