New valuation method revolutionizes company worth calculations, impacting financial markets.
The article presents a new way to value companies by assuming they keep a fixed ratio of debt to assets. This method is said to be more realistic than assuming the ratio changes with the market. The value of tax benefits for companies without debt costs is the tax rate multiplied by the current debt plus the future increases in debt. The study also finds that different discount rates should be used for equity cash flows and the expected value of the equity.