cost of capital and what cost components does it include how does the

"This book is the most incisive and exhaustive treatment of this critical subject to date."
—From the Foreword by Stephen P. Lamb, Esq., Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, and former vice chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery

"Cost of Capital, Fourth Edition treats both the theory and the practical applications from the view of corporate management and investors. It contains in-depth guidance to assist corporate executives and their staffs in estimating cost of capital like no other book does. This book will serve corporate practitioners as a comprehensive reference book on this challenging topic in these most challenging economic times."
—Robert L. Parkinson Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Office, Baxter International Inc., and former dean, School of Business Administration and Graduate School of Business, Loyola University of Chicago

"Shannon Pratt and Roger Grabowski have consolidated information on both the theoretical framework and the practical applications needed by corporate executives and their staffs in estimating cost of capital in these ever-changing economic times. It provides guidance to assist corporate practitioners from the corporate management point of view. For example, the discussions on measuring debt capacity is especially timely in this changing credit market environment. The book serves corporate practitioners as a solid reference."
—Franco Baseotto, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer, Foster Wheeler AG

"When computing the cost of capital for a firm, it can be fairly said that for every rule, there are a hundred exceptions. Shannon Pratt and Roger Grabowski should be credited with not only defining the basic rules that govern the computation of the cost of capital, but also a road map to navigate through the hundreds of exceptions. This belongs in every practitioner's collection of must-have valuation books."
—Aswath Damodaran, Professor, Stern School of Business, New York University

"Pratt and Grabowski have done it again. Just when you thought they couldn't possibly do a better job, they did. Cost of Capital, Fourth Edition is a terrific resource. It is without a doubt the most comprehensive book on this subject today. What really distinguishes this book from other such texts is the fact that it is easy to read—no small feat given the exhaustive and detailed research and complicated subject matter. This book makes you think hard about all the alternative views out there and helps move the valuation profession forward."
—James R. Hitchner, CPA/ABV/CFF, ASA, Managing Director, Financial Valuation Advisors; CEO, Valuation Products and Services; Editor in Chief, Financial Valuation and Litigation Expert; and President, Financial Consulting Group

"The Fourth Edition of Cost of Capital continues to be a 'one-stop shop' for background and current thinking on the development and uses of rates of return on capital. While it will have an appeal for a wide variety of constituents, it should serve as required reading and as a reference volume for students of finance and practitioners of business valuation. Readers will continue to find the volume to be a solid foundation for continued debate and research on the topic for many years to come."
—Anthony V. Aaron, Americas Leader, Quality and Risk Management, Ernst & Young Transaction Advisory Services

"Pratt and Grabowski went the extra mile to supplement their magnum opus by providing this Workbook and Technical Supplement. As a finance professor for many years, I know from experience that students and teachers really value supplements to textbooks. It allows the teacher to help the student to review and apply what was presented in the text, and the PowerPoints are a great service to teachers in course preparation. The website provides various worksheets that show the inner workings of the models. I enthusiastically recommend the Workbook and Technical Supplement to finance professors and teachers and their students.
—Daniel L. McConaughy, PhD, ASA, Professor of Finance, California State University, Northridge, Valuation Services, Crowe Horwath LLP

"The Workbook and Technical Supplement provides a detailed tutorial on understanding and executing the theoretical concepts explained in the Fourth Edition. This supplement is three books in one. Part One is a step-by-step tutorial on estimating certain key components of the cost of equity capital. Part Two provides a bridge between the theory and some practical applications, such as estimating the cost of capital for real property. Parts Three and Four allow the readers to test their comprehension of the concepts and identify areas for a review. It is almost as good as having Professors Pratt and Grabowski looking over your shoulder to ensure that one is both comprehending and correctly implementing the complex concepts.."
—Ashok Abbott, PhD, Associate Professor of Finance, College of Business & Economics, West Virginia University

"This text provides the most comprehensive coverage of cost of capital issues that I have seen to date. Messrs. Pratt and Grabowski have created a very accessible and lucid treatment of what most would consider an opaque subject. The Fourth Edition is especially important for its new topics as well as expanded coverage of concepts from earlier editions. Of particular interest is the review of the extreme market conditions during the 2008–2009 crisis and the effect that the unprecedented volatility had on traditional cost of capital models. For years, Pratt and Grabowski's research has informed the business valuation curriculum of the American Society of Appraisers. This book will be added to our reading list, and thousands of students worldwide will benefit from the state?of?the?art content of the Fourth Edition and the companion Workbook and Technical Supplement. Furthermore, Cost of Capital, Fourth Edition should be a mandatory part of every valuation practitioner's library. If you buy this book, you can expect it to become well worn and remain on your desk within arm's length until the publication of the Fifth Edition."
—John Barton, ASA, CPA, Chairman, Business Valuation Committee, ASA

"Cost of capital is so much more complex than it used to be. With so many additional considerations regarding each variable of the cost of capital formula, this book is a must for anyone that needs to understand or develop a discount rate. Even the most experienced practitioner will benefit from the outstanding work of Pratt and Grabowski. This book has to become part of your library."
—Gary R. Trugman, CPA/ABV, MCBA, ASA, MVS, President, Trugman Valuation Associates, Inc.

One of the most contentious questions in public utility regulation is what "fair" rate of return to allow investors. This book spells out the advantages and disadvantages of the major methods used to estimate the required rate of return. It is a thorough review and critique that will prove valuable to all members of the regulatory community - commissions and their staff, legal and management counsel, and intervenors - and to students of finance and regulation.The point of departure is the cost of capital as a concept and the rationale for setting the allowed rate of return equal to the cost of capital. On this basis a comprehensive set of evaluation criteria are developed, including theoretical, practical, and empirical aspects. With the conceptual and methodological framework established, the authors proceed to evaluate the five major estimation methods: comparable earnings, discounted cash flow, capital asset pricing model, risk positioning, and market-to-book ratio. In addition, they survey new methods of estimating the cost of capital, such as the Arbitrage Pricing Theory, that are likely to be used more frequently in the future. Several related topics are treated in appendices. The goal of the book is not to choose a single "best" method, but to provide a systematic assessment of the strengths of each.The authors are affiliated with Charles River Associates in Boston. Lawrence Kolbe is Vice President, James Read is Senior Research Associate, and George R. Hall is Vice President. A Charles River Associates Study.