---
id: "claim-wacc-historical-norms"
type: "claim"
source_timestamps: ["\\\"§ So Long", "Cheap Capital\\\""]
tags: ["corporate-finance", "predictions", "interest-rates"]
related: ["concept-end-of-cheap-capital", "claim-ai-drives-interest-rates", "quote-end-of-inexpensive-capital", "prereq-wacc"]
confidence: "medium"
testable: true
speakers: ["Michael Mankins", "Matthew Crupi"]
sources: ["reskilling"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-reskilling"
originDay: 10
articleStem: "hbr-sig-49-ai-squeezing-middle-managers"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/ai-is-squeezing-middle-managers"
sourceTitle: "AI Is Squeezing Middle Managers"
---
# WACC Will Return to High Single Digits by 2030

**Claim** — confidence: **medium** · testable: **yes**

[[entity-bain-and-company|Bain & Company]]'s [[entity-michael-mankins|Michael Mankins]] and [[entity-matthew-crupi|Matthew Crupi]] predict that by **2030**, the [[prereq-wacc|weighted average cost of capital (WACC)]] for many large companies will settle in the **high single digits**, returning to historical norms and officially ending a nearly two-decade era of inexpensive capital.

See the driving mechanism in [[claim-ai-drives-interest-rates]] and the underlying concept in [[concept-end-of-cheap-capital]]. The verbatim forecast is in [[quote-end-of-inexpensive-capital]].

**Enrichment caveat (why medium).** The overlay notes the specific 2030 high-single-digit figure is a **forward-looking estimate, not a validated fact** — the provided result set did not include the underlying Bain report or independent confirmation of the forecast. Directionally plausible, but treat the precise level as unverified.

Related: [[concept-end-of-cheap-capital]] · [[claim-ai-drives-interest-rates]] · [[quote-end-of-inexpensive-capital]] · [[prereq-wacc]]