You can transform a levered beta into an unlevered beta by...

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks how to transform a levered beta into an unlevered beta, which is a standard step in adjusting for capital structure in corporate finance.
Option 1: 'dividing a levered beta by the proportion of debt in the capital structure.' This is incorrect because unlevered beta is not obtained by simply dividing by the debt proportion; beta adjustments typically involve removing the impact of debt using a debt-to-equity framework, not by dividing by debt share alone.
Option 2: 'incorporating a real or assumed total debt ratio.' While debt level matters, using only the total debt ratio does not directly reflect the relative financing between debt and equity that drives beta removal. The standard approach centers on debt-to-equity, not total debt alone.
Option 3: 'incorporating a real or assumed debt-to-equity ratio.' This is the correct mechanism. The levered beta reflects financial leverage; to unlever it, you remove the effect of debt by using the debt-to-equity ratio (and often the formula Beta_unlevered = Beta_Levered / (1 + (1 - Tax_rate) * (Debt/Equity)) or, in simplified forms, Beta_unlevered = Beta_Levered / (1 + Debt/Equity). The key is incorporating the debt-to-equity relationship to isolate asset risk, independent of capital structure.
Option 4: 'multiplying the levered beta by a measure of capital structure and then account for taxes.' This phrasing is vague and suggests a multiplication step rather than the standard division by (1 + (Debt/Equity)) adjusted for taxes. It does not align with the conventional unlevering formula, and could misrepresent how leverage is neutralized.
Overall, the only option that aligns with the conventional unlevering process is option 3, which explicitly uses the debt-to-equity ratio to strip out financial leverage and arrive at the unlevered beta.

You can transform a levered beta into an unlevered beta by...Single choice

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