Items 1 through 2 are based on the following information:

A new company requires $1 million of financing and is considering two arrangements as shown in the table below.

Arrangement

Amount of equity raised

Amount of debt financing

Before-tax cost of debt

#1

$700,000

$300,000

8% per annum

#2

$300,000

$700,000

10% per annum

In the first year of operations, the company is expected to have sales revenues of $500,000, cost of sales of $200,000, and general and administrative expenses of $100,000. The tax rate is 30%, and there are no other items on the income statement. All earnings are paid out as dividends at year-end.

If the cost of equity were 12%, then the weighted-average cost of capital under Arrangement #1, to the nearest full percentage point, would be

  1. 8%
  2. 10%
  3. 11%
  4. 12%

Which of the following statements comparing the two financing arrangements is true?

  1. The company will have a higher expected gross margin under Arrangement #1.
  2. The company will have a higher degree of operating leverage under Arrangement #2.
  3. The company will have higher interest expense under Arrangement #1.
  4. The company will have higher expected tax expense under Arrangement #1.