Businesss Essay

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CASE STUDY Cost of Capital at Ameritrade 1. What factors should Ameritrade management consider when evaluating the proposed advertising program and technology upgrades? Why? Mr. Ricketts believes that his role as CEO is to maximize shareholder value by accepting any project whose expected return on investment is greater than the cost of capital. Therefore, the main factors that Ameritrade management should consider are the expected return on investment for the project, and how this compares to the project’s cost of capital. Other factors that should also be considered include: how market swings will affect the expected return on investment, the project’s payback period (the project will require massive initial outlays, so Ameritrade could find itself in financial trouble if results are not seen relatively quickly), the unique risk that would come along with being the only major player in their price range, the risks inherent in being the “first adopter” of new technology (unforeseen technical problems, the possibility that price cuts in the near-future could allow competitors to obtain the same technology at a drastically reduced price, etc.), the relative success of previous advertising campaigns, and the positive effects that an increase in market share could have on future projects. Ameritrade management should consider RE&DE and Efficient ROI Management. Because in order increase market share and company's revenue Company has to adapt the compatition and create the compatitive advantage by altering RE&DE And Efficient ROI Management * Future cashflows * Future revenue * Debt to equity ratio * Cost of equity/ return on equity 2. How can the Capital Asset Pricing Model be used to estimate the cost of capital for a real (not financial) investment decision? Capital Asset Pricing Model can be used to estimate the cost of capital
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