Lally (1998) shows that when the “market” portfolio against which equity betas are measured constitutes a share portfolio, which is the usual case, then equity betas are sensitive to market as well as firm specific leverage. This paper explores the application of this idea to the widespread...

This paper shows that, when as usual the market portfolio is proxied by a share portfolio, then the conventional Ibbotson (1999) estimator of the market risk premium violates Miller-Modigliani (1958 and 1963) propositions II and III. A new estimator of the market risk premium is proposed which...

This paper derives the relationship between a stock's beta and its weighting in the portfolio against which its beta is calculated. Contrary to intuition the effect of this market weight is in general very substantial. We then suggest an alternative to the conventional measure of abnormal...

In regulating the output prices of certain firms, with periodic reassessment of prices in the light of prevailing costs, the cost of capital is generally a significant component of these costs, and this in turn involves a risk free rate. Debate in this area centers on whether the term of the...

The valuation model which discounts expected dividends is widely accepted in the finance literature. Beyond some point a constant growth rate in expected dividends is assumed. The accepted specification of this growth rate involves a constant retention rate for earnings, and is valid under no...

Hall (2007) challenges a fundamental point in the analysis of Lally (2007) and earlier papers: if the risk free rate within the allowed rate of return matches the regulatory term, then the present value of future cash flows PV0 equals equity holders initial investment C(1-L). Hall argues that...

This paper describes and compares two processes for assessing and assigning cost of capital in the public sector: that for Departments under the Capital Charge process and that recommended for SOEs. The processes are similar in the sense of using private sector type technology, and in particular...