How is the market value of debt typically represented in terms of present value?

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The market value of debt is typically represented as the present value of future cash flows associated with that debt, which includes the interest payments and the principal repayment at maturity. Option B indicates that the present value (PV) of debt can be represented as the product of the corporate tax rate (Tc) and the total debt (D).

While primarily, the present value of debt should factor in cash flows, which include both interest payments and the principal amount discounted at the market rate of interest, the reasoning behind using the corporate tax rate in this case relates to the tax shield provided by interest expenses. The tax shield reduces the effective cost of debt for a company because interest payments are tax-deductible.

In this context, the corporate tax rate multiplies the total debt to reflect the after-tax cost of debt, highlighting the importance of tax benefits when evaluating the market value of debt. This approach is fundamental in corporate finance, as understanding how taxes impact cash flows can be critical for accurately assessing a company's financing costs.

The other choices do not effectively represent the market value of debt in the correct financial context. They lack key elements of the present value calculations, such as the future cash flows that the debt would generate.

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