Answer:
10.03%
Explanation:
Using the dividend discount formula, find the cost of equity; r
[tex]r = \frac{D1}{P0} +g[/tex]
whereby,
D1 = Next year's dividend = 5.29
P0 = Current price of the stock = 79.83
g = growth rate of dividends = 3.40% or 0.034 as a decimal
Next, plug in the numbers to the formula above;
[tex]r = \frac{5.29}{79.83} +0.034\\ \\ r =0.06627 + 0.034\\ \\ =0.10027[/tex]
As a percentage, r = 10.03%
Therefore, the company's cost of equity is 10.03%