While using a DCF and WACC, where do I input my own required rate of return?

Hi everyone,

From an investors perspective while calculating a DCF(FCFF using WACC), where do I put in my own required rate of return? Do I replace the cost of equity with my own return in the WACC formula?

**Wacc Calculation **

Target Capital Structure
Debt to Total Capitalization 29,1%
Equity to Total Capitalization 70,9%
Debt to Equity Ratio 41,8% O

Cost of Equity
Risk-free rate (2) 2,5% Interpolated Yield on 10-year Treasury bond
Market risk Premium (3) 7,1%
Levered Beta (4) 1,22
Size Premium (5) 1,7%
Cost of Equity 12,8%

Cost of Debt
Cost of Debt 12,0%
Corporate tax rate 22,0%
After Tax Cost of Debt 9,4%

WACC 11,8%

Let's say that I want a yearly return of 20% on this investment to cover the rate I believe I can get longterm from indexfunds and a riskpremium in this specific company. Would the WACC to use then be 20%(My required rate of return)+9,8%(Cost of debt) = 29,8%?

Thanks

7 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Almost correct. It will be 9.8% * [preferred debt ratio] + 20% * [1 - preferred debt ratio]. Debt is supposed to make your return higher (or allow you to offer a higher price for the same return). Think of it from the following perspective:

When you make a 100% equity transaction, you require a certain rate of return, say 20% (these days in practice it is way lower, think 15%). If you put leverage on that same transaction, you will still require the 20% return on the equity-financed part of the investment, but the entire investment also includes debt, which requires a different (lower) rate of return. In practice this is usually the interest you will pay on the leverage for that investment. Hence your rate of return on your investment will be the weighted average of 20% on the equity part and 9.8% on the debt part.

This is why your return increases for debt transactions. Instead of discounting with the 20%, you can discount with a lower %.

 

D * (1-t) * D/(D+E) + K * (1-D/(D+E))

Where D = Cost of debt (interest paid over leverage) t = Tax Rate D / (D+E) = Preferred/optimal debt ratio K = required return on equity

It's just the weighted average of the required return on debt and the required return on equity, hence weighted average cost of capital or WACC. I am not sure how to explain this any further.

 

Magnam ut nesciunt omnis quia. Sed laborum magnam explicabo cum velit deserunt. Similique dolor aperiam ex ut repudiandae praesentium tenetur. Voluptatem itaque in sit unde eveniet necessitatibus.

Vel commodi vel laboriosam odit qui ducimus. Ut ut perferendis totam odit fugit. Eaque nemo perferendis maxime nihil architecto. Et sed tempora nostrum soluta temporibus sed aut. Et alias delectus modi atque minus pariatur amet.

Velit excepturi iste ea sit sit. Porro qui fugit odit eaque. Saepe animi et ex sit placeat dicta. Assumenda tenetur iste corrupti quis. Deleniti nam error facilis suscipit placeat laborum quia.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”