The WACC of Upland Software Inc (UPLD) is 12.5%.
| Range | Selected | |
| Cost of equity | 28.60% - 42.70% | 35.65% |
| Tax rate | 2.00% - 2.40% | 2.20% |
| Cost of debt | 6.20% - 15.60% | 10.90% |
| WACC | 7.7% - 17.2% | 12.5% |
| Category | Low | High |
| Long-term bond rate | 3.9% | 4.4% |
| Equity market risk premium | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| Adjusted beta | 5.37 | 6.76 |
| Additional risk adjustments | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Cost of equity | 28.60% | 42.70% |
| Tax rate | 2.00% | 2.40% |
| Debt/Equity ratio | 13.05 | 13.05 |
| Cost of debt | 6.20% | 15.60% |
| After-tax WACC | 7.7% | 17.2% |
| Selected WACC | 12.5% | |
The Cost of Equity reflects the return a company needs to deliver to shareholders to justify the risk of investing in its shares. It’s computed using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM), which blends the risk-free rate, the stock’s beta, and the market risk premium.
This method evaluates the stock’s risk compared to a safe investment and the market’s overall volatility.
Here’s how we figure out the cost of equity for UPLD:
cost_of_equity (35.65%) = risk_free_rate (4.15%) + equity_risk_premium (5.10%) * adjusted_beta (5.37) + risk_adjustments (0.25%)
We include the risk adjustments, which range from 0% to 1%, to keep our WACC conservatives, especially for companies traded in developing markets.