Do you want a lower WACC?
John Hall
Updated on February 10, 2026
It is essential to note that the lower the WACC, the higher the market value of the company – as you can see from the following simple example; when the WACC is 15%, the market value of the company is 667; and when the WACC falls to 10%, the market value of the company increases to 1,000.
Why does going public lower WACC?
Weighted average cost of capital shows a company how expensive it is to finance new projects or other expenditures by raising money from outside sources. These sources come in two main categories: stocks and bonds. A company can lower the WACC by lowering the cost of issuing equity, debt, or both.
What happens when WACC increases?
A firm’s WACC increases as the beta and rate of return on equity increase because an increase in WACC denotes a decrease in valuation and an increase in risk.
How can a company lower its weighted average cost of capital?
A company can reduce its WACC by cutting debt financing costs, lowering equity costs and capital restructuring. Equity cost is the return on investments that shareholders expect to earn from the company.
How does the weighted average cost of capital ( WACC ) work?
Given that it is the cost that a company incurs to raise additional capital, the WACC may also be referred to as the marginal cost of capital (MCC). The formula for the WACC is: wd = the proportion of debt that a company uses whenever it raises new funds wp = the proportion of preferred stock that the company uses when it raises new funds
What is the weighted average cost of capital for company XYZ?
Suppose that company XYZ has the following capital structure: 25% equity, 10% preferred stock, and 65% debt. Its marginal cost of equity is 12%, its marginal cost of preferred stock is 9%, and its before-tax cost of debt is 7%. If the marginal tax rate is 35%, what is company XYZ’s WACC?
What is the weighted average cost of capital for Walmart?
The WACC of Walmart is 4.2%. That number is found by doing a number of calculations. First, we must find the financing structure of Walmart to calculate V, which is the total market value of the company’s financing. For Walmart, to find the market value of its debt we use the book value,…