Eastern Electric currently pays a dividend of about $1.64 per share and sells for $27 a share.

a. If investors believe the growth rate of dividends is 3% per year, what rate of return do they expect to earn on the stock?

b. If investors' required rate of return is 12%, what must be the growth rate they expect of the firm? (Do not round intermediate calculations. Enter your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.)

c. If the sustainable growth rate is 6% and the plowback ratio is. 4, what must be the rate of return earned by the firm on its new investments? (Enter your answer as a percent rounded to 2 decimal places.)

a. 9.07%

b. 5.93%

c. 12.07%

Explanation:

Dividend valuation method is used to calculate the the value of stock based on the dividend paid, its growth rate and rate of return.

Stock Price = Dividend / (Rate of return - Growth rate)

a.

$27 = $1.64 / (Rate of return - 3%)

Rate of return - 0.03 = $1.64 / $27

Rate of return - 0.03 = 0.0607

Rate of return = 0.0607 + 0.03

Rate of return = 0.0907 = 9.07%

b.

$27 = $1.64 / (12% - Growth rate)

0.12 - Growth rate = $1.64 / $27

0.12 - Growth rate = 0.0607

Growth rate = 0.12 - 0.0607

Growth rate = 0.0593 = 5.93%

c.

$27 = $1.64 / (Rate of return - 6%)

Rate of return - 0.06 = $1.64 / $27

Rate of return - 0.06 = 0.0607

Rate of return = 0.0607 + 0.06

Rate of return = 0.1207 = 12.07%