Risk-neutral valuation is simple, elegant and central in option pricing theory. However, in teaching risk-neutral valuation, it is not easy to explain the concept of quot;risk-neutralquot; probabilities. Beginners who are new to risk-neutral valuation always have lingering doubts about the...

It is widely accepted that the correct discount rate for the tax shield depends on whether the value of the debt is a fixed amount or is a proportion of the value of the firm.In this pedagogical note, using a simple two period numerical example, I assume a fixed amount of debt and demonstrate...

Many firms have debt financing in a foreign currency. What are the tax implications of the foreign loan for the calculation of the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)? With a foreign loan, there are two effects. First, there is the standard tax savings from the interests deduction with the...

The typical assumption about cashflows in perpetuity is not appropriate in practical project appraisal because the length of project life is always finite. In this paper, I discuss the calculation of multiperiod financial discount rates for a project with a finite life. For simplicity, I assume...

In the financial appraisal of a project, the cashflow statements are constructed from two points of view: The Total Investment (TI) Point of View and Equity Point of View. One of the most important issues is the estimation of the correct financial discount rates for the two points of view. In...

Recently, the residual income (RI) model has become very popular in valuation because it purports to measure quot;value addedquot; by explicitly taking into account the cost for capital in the income statement. Some proponents of the residual income approach have even suggested that the RI model...