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WACC Calculator

This WACC calculator blends your cost of equity and after-tax cost of debt into one weighted average cost of capital, the hurdle rate for new projects.

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Market capitalization or valuation of common equity

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Total market value of interest-bearing loans and issued bonds

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Expected annual return demanded by equity holders (e.g. from CAPM)

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Weighted average interest rate paid on corporate borrowing

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Effective marginal tax rate creating interest tax shield

Debt Tax Shield Benefit

Interest on debt is tax-deductible in corporate taxation: After-tax cost of debt = Rd × (1 − T). This reduces capital costs relative to equity.

Results

Blended Cost of Capital (WACC)
11.85%

Your business pays roughly ~11.85%/year to fund its capital — new projects must beat this rate to create value

Total Capital (V = E + D)₹1,00,00,000
Equity Weight (E / V)70.0%
Debt Weight (D / V)30.0%
Equity Contribution9.94%
Debt Contribution (After-Tax)1.91%
After-Tax Cost of Debt6.38%
Interest Tax Shield Savings0.64%

Projects yielding return rates higher than this blended threshold generate positive economic value added (EVA).

WACC Formula and Components

Weighted Average Cost of Capital blends the cost of equity and debt financing weighted by their market value proportions:

WACC = (E ÷ V × Re) + [D ÷ V × Rd × (1 − T)]

Where:
• E = Market value of equity
• D = Market value of debt
• V = Total market capital = E + D
• Re = Cost of equity
• Rd = Pre-tax cost of debt
• T = Corporate tax rate

WACC Formula in Excel

Put each input in its own cell, with rates entered as percentages: B1 equity value (E), B2 debt value (D), B3 cost of equity (Re), B4 pre-tax cost of debt (Rd) and B5 tax rate (T). Then paste this into any empty cell:

=B1/(B1+B2)*B3 + B2/(B1+B2)*B4*(1-B5)

If you need the cost of equity first, estimate it with CAPM: Re = Rf + β × (Rm − Rf). With the risk-free rate in B6, beta in B7 and expected market return in B8, put this in B3:

=B6+B7*(B8-B6)

With the worked example below (B1 = 7,000,000, B2 = 3,000,000, B3 = 14.2%, B4 = 8.5%, B5 = 25%) the formula returns 11.85%, matching this calculator.

Worked Example: Capital Structure Optimization

Consider an infrastructure firm with ₹70,00,000 in equity valuation and ₹30,00,000 in debt capital, producing total capital of ₹1,00,00,000. Equity investors demand a 14.2% return, borrowing costs stand at 8.5%, and corporate tax is 25%:

  • Equity Weight (E / V): ₹70L ÷ ₹100L = 70.0%
  • Debt Weight (D / V): ₹30L ÷ ₹100L = 30.0%
  • After-Tax Cost of Debt: 8.5% × (1 − 0.25) = 6.375%
  • Equity Contribution: 70.0% × 14.2% = 9.940%
  • Debt Contribution: 30.0% × 6.375% = 1.9125%
  • Blended WACC: 9.940% + 1.9125% = 11.8525% (rounded to 11.85%)

The firm must earn at least 11.85% annualized return on newly deployed capital to maintain its firm value and satisfy both equity shareholders and debt creditors.

Key Assumptions and Limitations

• Constant Capital Structure: Assumes the target proportion of equity to debt remains constant over the project investment horizon.

• Similar Risk Profile: WACC is applicable only to new investment projects possessing an operational risk profile equivalent to the firm's core enterprise operations.

• Marginal Tax Advantage: Assumes the firm possesses sufficient taxable income to fully utilize the interest tax shield deduction.

• Market Volatility: Market values of equity fluctuate continuously with stock market sentiment, requiring periodic recalculation.

Estimating your corporate hurdle rate or discount rate for DCF?Read our valuation guide on How to Calculate WACC: Capital Structure Weighting, Cost of Equity (CAPM), and the Debt Tax Shield to master unlevering/relevering beta, sovereign risk spreads, and optimal leverage points.

Frequently asked questions

What is Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC)?
WACC represents a company's blended cost of capital across all sources of funding, including common equity, preferred stock, and debt obligations, weighted according to each component's market value proportion.
Why is debt cost adjusted for taxes in WACC?
In most corporate tax jurisdictions, interest payments on debt are tax-deductible expenses. This creates an interest tax shield, making the effective economic cost of debt equal to Rd × (1 − Tax Rate).
Should market values or book values be used in WACC?
Corporate finance theory strictly dictates using market values for both equity and debt because investors demand hurdle returns based on current economic asset value rather than historical accounting book figures.
How is the Cost of Equity (Re) determined?
Cost of equity is commonly estimated using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM): Re = Risk-Free Rate + Beta × (Market Equity Risk Premium).
How does higher debt proportion affect WACC?
Initially, introducing lower-cost tax-shielded debt reduces WACC. However, excessive leverage elevates financial distress risks, causing equity investors and bondholders to demand higher risk premiums, which eventually drives WACC upward.

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Blended Cost of Capital (WACC)

11.85%

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