The Cost of Equity Capital and The CAPM

 The Cost of Equity Capital and The CAPM
Review the background material on the capital asset pricing model, the material on the dividend growth model, and arbitrage pricing theory and do some of your own research using internet search engines and the CyberLibrary as well. These models provide some insights and tools to estimate the rate of return that investors in our company 'require' in the sense that if they don't see the possibility that they'll earn that rate of return they'll sell the shares and that of course will lower the market price per share.
These models use a set of assumptions that are not necessarily tenable.
You are asked by your board of directors to write a report explaining the challenge of estimating or coming with a good 'feel' for the "cost of equity capital" or the rate of return that you feel your company investors require as the minimum rate of return that they expect of require your company to earn on their investment in the shares of the company.  There are several asset pricing models used to estimate the cost of equity capital that you have read about for this module in the background materials.   After reading through the background materials, write a report to the board of directors (of your SLP Company) in a five page paper addressing the following issue:
Which of the three models (dividend growth, CAPM, or APT) is the best one for estimating the required rate of return (or discount rate) of your company?
In your paper include discussion of the following issues:
1. Ease of use of these three models
2. Accuracy of each of these three models
3. How realistic the assumptions of each model are
For this paper you need to take a clear stand and pick one of these three models to defend to the Board of Directors.  You cannot tell the Board of Directors that "I like all three models", they want you to come to them with a decisive choice of just one model. 
Case Assignment Expectations
In the grading of your assignment, you will be assessed on the following items:
1. The use of multiple references including both references in the background materials as well as references you find from your own research in the TUI CyberLibrary or internet search engines.
2.  Your paper from beginning to end on the precise assignment question.  No need for lengthy background information.  Your very first paragraph should include a direct answer to the assignment question, with the body of your paper focused on defending your answer.  See the attached Tips for Good Writing for mroe detail on these expectations.
3. Your paper should be at least five pages in lengths.
4. Your paper should include proper referencing, both with a bibliography and references within your text.  See the two links on referencing in the syllabus page for more detail about referencing.