Blades, Discussion 5

Florabama is an energy venture classified as a variable interest entity (VIE) of its two investors – Meyer Inc. and Saban Company. Meyer and Saban own 60 percent and 40 percent of Florabama respectively and the profit and losses are split according to ownership percentage. According to the terms of the venture arrangement, Saban is permitted, but not required, to purchase up to 20 percent of the power produced by Florabama at cost plus. The cost-plus arrangement between Saban and Florabama represents a variable interest in that Saban absorbs variability in Florabama through the

Grappling with the potential purchase of Olive Hill Farm, we decided to conduct a financial analysis to determine whether the project should be taken or not. Our financial analysis include scenarios for the best, worse, and most likely outcomes of purchasing the farm. For each scenario a Net Present Worth (NPW) and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) was calculated and compared. This revealed that there was little gain for the worst case scenario and large gains for the other two scenarios. A sensitivity analysis and a break-even analysis was also conducted. The sensitivity analysis identified the most influential factors on the NPW. In the end, the analysis favored buying Olive Hill Farm because it would be a low risk, high reward investment.

The third and final question from the case is how would the lease classification change under U.S. GAAP. The FASB codification that deals with leases is ASC 840. U.S. GAAP classifies leases as operating leases or capital leases and it has a section for sale-leaseback transactions as well. Under U.S. GAAP, the lease in this case would be classified as a capital lease. This is because ASC 840-10-25-29 says, “If at its inception a lease meets any of the four lease classification criteria in paragraph 840-10-25-1, the lease shall be classified by the lessee as a capital lease.” This lease meets two of those criterions. The lease term is equal to 75% of the economic life of the equipment (3 year lease term / 4 year economic life of equipment = .75 or 75%) and the present value of the minimum lease payments “equals or exceeds 90 percent of the excess of the fair value of the lease property to the lessor at lease inception over any related investment tax credit retained by the lessor and expected to be realized by the lessor” (ASC 840-10-25-1d). The present value of the minimum lease payments does in fact equal or exceed 90 percent of the fair value of the equipment ($248,690 / $265,000 = .94 or 94%). Under ASC 840-10-25-31, the lessee should use the implicit rate to calculate the present value of the lease payments because the lessee already

Steve was concerned about the potential loss of customers and suggested that Prairie Winds purchase a second pasta production machine for $40 million. The company had excess space in the existing facility that could be used for the new machinery. However, this space currently was leased to another company on a year-to-year basis and was generating annual rent of

* A new project idea which requires an investment of $2 mm and will generate total cash flows (including any salvage or terminal value) next year of either $4mm (recession) or $8mm (boom). The firm has not yet raised the cash to make this investment, but the market is aware of the investment opportunity.

According to his financial model, the investment generates positive cash flow, excluding the initial investment, over the life of investment. This indicates further capital will not need to be raised for

This case captures the problems concerning cash flow and working-capital management typical of small, growing businesses. At the end of 2005, Bob and Maggie Brown have completed their third year of operating Horniman Horticulture, a $1-million-revenue woody-shrub nursery in central Virginia. While experiencing booming demand and improving margins, the Browns are puzzled by their plummeting cash balance. The case highlights the difference between cash flow and accounting profits, as well as the common negative effects of growth on cash flow. It also provides a forum for instilling appreciation for the relevance of free cash flow to business owners and managers, introducing

As shown in the ratios chart, working capital has increased by $13M. Maturities of short-term investments and cash flow from operations are projected to be sufficient to sustain the company’s overall financing needs, including capital expenditures. The following corporate strategic plan identifies a project that needs financial backing.

Paula Green, a U.S citizen and our client, is preparing to expand her business into landscaping field. Before the expansion, Paula already has already been operating the Green Thumb Nursery whose total assets with a $260,000 adjusted basis and a $500,000 FMV. To avoid the risk of paying unlimited debt, Paula plans to change business form from sole proprietorship into corporation. And Mary Brown, a U.S citizen and the other client, would like to invest $250,000 into this corporation.

Our approach to valuing the processing plant can easily be decomposed into three distinct steps first, find the value of the foreseeable free cash flows. Next, calculate the terminal value of the project. Finally, take the present value of those flows. The next few paragraphs walk through each of these steps in order of progression.

Due to this realization, the next thing he did was to talk to the plant’s accountants to determine how the company can make money. The company will have money if the net profit increased along with the return on

bank” and wants to share in the financial success that he is funding. At the same time, FF says that convertible debt and preferred equity wouldn’t impose enough discipline on Sunflower management. He likes

1. Tyler’s total sales forecast for the nursery’s first full year of operations is 228,000 plants at an average sales price of $5 per plant. As a first approximation, assume that 30 percent of the firm’s customers will pay 10 days after the sale, 55 percent will pay on the 30th day, and 15 percent will pay on the 60th day.

In the revised income statement, projected net income after taxes would significantly increase from $3,963K to $4,651K in 2011, and from $3,818K to $4,716K in 2012. This is predominantly driven by the sales growth of $21.6 million in 2011 and $28 million in 2012. Without this project, net income would have otherwise peaked in 2011 and decline in subsequent years. Thus, this investment

As you can see in the graph below, the only cash outflows from the company in year 7 will come from debt financing, with about an $11M outflow from buying back the building from Frank Thomas,