In "The Search for Value: Measuring the Company's Cost of Capital," Michael C. Ehrhardt explores advanced techniques for determining the cost of capital, offering a comprehensive framework for practitioners. He discusses various methods for evaluating investments in projects, divisions, or entire companies, starting with a general overview of cost of capital in relation to a firm's quest for value. Key topics include discounted cash flow analysis, flotation costs, long-term and international projects, and scenarios where traditional cash flow analysis may not be applicable, such as with regulated companies. Ehrhardt adeptly navigates technical concepts, providing step-by-step examples to illustrate how theoretical ideas can be integrated into everyday financial decisions. He also delivers an in-depth analysis of estimating capital costs in multidivisional, multiproduct, and multinational firms. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography for further exploration. This work is tailored for financial directors, planners, managers, analysts, and finance students, addressing the critical concerns of financial practitioners. In a competitive business landscape, accurate evaluation of the cost of capital is essential for determining the value-creating potential of investments, making this analysis a vital business imperative.
