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A simple correction of the WACC discount rate for default risk and bankruptcy costs

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  • Christian Koziol

Abstract

Standard discounted cash flow approaches suffer from a rudimental modeling of the possibility of a default, as the main characteristics such as the default probability and potential bankruptcy costs are commonly disregarded. This paper aims at providing a tractable extension of the well-known WACC approach for both default risk and bankruptcy costs. The corrected WACC discount rate reveals that default risk results in a systematically higher WACC because the tax component is scaled by the survivorship probability and an aditional component for bankruptcy costs must be added. This difference between the classical WACC discount rate and the simple modified WACC rate can be remarkable especially for firms from businesses with high bankruptcy costs and a relevant default probability. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

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  • Christian Koziol, 2014. "A simple correction of the WACC discount rate for default risk and bankruptcy costs," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 653-666, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:rqfnac:v:42:y:2014:i:4:p:653-666
    DOI: 10.1007/s11156-013-0356-x
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    Cited by:

    1. Krause, Marko & Lahmann, Alexander, 2017. "Valuation effects of taxes on debt cancellation," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 346-354.
    2. Knolle, Julia, 2020. "Prosperity in a Low Interest Environment," MPRA Paper 104332, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Kim-Duc, Nguyen & Nam, Pham Khanh, 2023. "Inflation-related tax distortions in business valuation models: A clarification," The North American Journal of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    4. Fischer, Max & Krause, Marko & Lahmann, Alexander & Stimper, Franziska, 2022. "Firm valuation with state dependent COD taxation," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 550-561.
    5. Gil Cohen, 2023. "ESG risks and corporate survival," Environment Systems and Decisions, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 16-21, March.
    6. Stefan Dierkes & Ulrich Schäfer, 2017. "Corporate taxes, capital structure, and valuation: Combining Modigliani/Miller and Miles/Ezzell," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 363-383, February.
    7. Sven Arnold & Alexander Lahmann & Bernhard Schwetzler, 2018. "Discontinuous financing based on market values and the value of tax shields," Business Research, Springer;German Academic Association for Business Research, vol. 11(1), pages 149-171, February.
    8. Zbysław Dobrowolski & Grzegorz Drozdowski & Mirela Panait & Simona Andreea Apostu, 2022. "The Weighted Average Cost of Capital and Its Universality in Crisis Times: Evidence from the Energy Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-15, September.
    9. Layla Khoja & Maxwell Chipulu & Ranadeva Jayasekera, 2016. "Analysing corporate insolvency in the Gulf Cooperation Council using logistic regression and multidimensional scaling," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 483-518, April.
    10. Justyna Franc-Dąbrowska & Magdalena Mądra-Sawicka & Anna Milewska, 2021. "Energy Sector Risk and Cost of Capital Assessment—Companies and Investors Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    11. Amilcar A. Menichini, 2017. "On the value and determinants of the interest tax shields," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 725-748, April.
    12. Buttignon Fabio, 2020. "Distressed Firm Valuation: A Scenario Discounted Cash Flow Approach," Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 15(1), pages 1-47, February.
    13. Kwangmin Park & SooCheong (Shawn) Jang, 2018. "Is franchising an additional financing source for franchisors? A Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition analysis," Tourism Economics, , vol. 24(5), pages 541-559, August.
    14. Valentin Haag & Christian Koziol, 2023. "Company Cost of Capital and Leverage: A Simplified Textbook Relationship Revisited," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 75(1), pages 37-69, March.
    15. Wnuczak Paweł, 2018. "Social value added (SVA) as an adaptation of economic value added (EVA) to the specificity of cultural institutions," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 26(1), pages 100-120, March.
    16. Carlo Mari & Marcella Marra, 2017. "Deterministic discounting of risky cash-flows," Journal of Finance and Investment Analysis, SCIENPRESS Ltd, vol. 6(3), pages 1-2.
    17. Lahmann Alexander & Arnold Sven & Gmehling Philipp, 2017. "The Impact of Default on Tax Shield Valuation," Journal of Business Valuation and Economic Loss Analysis, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 41-62, February.
    18. Marko Volker Krause & Alexander Lahmann, 2016. "Reconsidering the appropriate discount rate for tax shield valuation," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 86(5), pages 477-512, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Firm valuation; Discounted cash flow (DCF); Default risk; WACC approach; G12; G31; G33;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G12 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Asset Pricing; Trading Volume; Bond Interest Rates
    • G31 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Capital Budgeting; Fixed Investment and Inventory Studies
    • G33 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Bankruptcy; Liquidation

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