CEO, Worthington Industries (WOR) (a high-technology steel company): “We try to find the best technology, stay ahead of the competition, and serve the customer…. We’ll make any investment that will pay back quickly … but if it is something that we really see as a must down the road, payback is not going to be that important.” Chairman of Amgen Inc. (AMGN) (a biotech company): “You cannot really run the numbers, do net present value calculations, because the uncertainties are really gigantic…. You decide on a project you want to run, and then you run the numbers [as a reality check on your assumptions]. Success in a business like this is much more dependent on tracking rather than on predicting, much more dependent on seeing results over time, tracking and adjusting and readjusting, much more dynamic, much more flexible.” Chief financial officer of Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) (a pharmaceutical company): “… at the individual product level—the development of a successful new product requires on the order of $230 million in R&D, spread over more than a decade—discounted cash flow style analysis does not become a factor until development is near the point of manufacturing scale-up effort. Prior to that point, given the uncertainties associated with new product development, it would be lunacy in our business to decide that we know exactly what’s going to happen to a product once it gets out.” Explain the role of capital investment analysis for these companies.

Imagine you are the manager of operations for a manufacturing company. Your vice president wants to expand production by building a new facility, and she would like you to develop a business case for the project. Assume that your company’s weighted average cost of capital is 13%, the after-tax cost of debt is 7%, preferred stock is 10.5%, and common equity is 15%. As you work on the business case, you surmise that this is a fairly risky project because of a recent slowing in product sales. In fact, when using the 13% weighted average cost of capital, you discover that the project is estimated to return about 10%, which is quite a bit less than the company’s weighted average cost of capital. Your vice president suggests that the project could be financed from a mix of retained earnings (50%) and bonds (50%). She reasons that retained earnings do not cost the company anything because it is cash you already have and the after-tax cost of debt is only 7%. That would lower your weighted…

Consider the following conversation between Gary Means, manager of a division that produces industrial machinery, and his controller, Donna Simpson, a certified management accountant and certified public accountant: Gary: Donna, we have a real problem. Our operating cash is too low, and we are in desperate need of a loan. As you know, our financial position is marginal, and we need to show as much income as possibleand our assets need bolstering as well. Donna: I understand the problem, but I dont see what can be done at this point. This is the last week of the fiscal year, and it looks like well report income just slightly above breakeven. Gary: I know all this. What we need is some creative accounting. I have an idea that might help us, and I wanted to see if you would go along with it. We have 200 partially finished machines in process, about 20% complete. That compares with the 1,000 units that we completed and sold during the year. When you computed the per-unit cost, you used 1,040 equivalent units, giving us a manufacturing cost of 1,500 per unit. That per-unit cost gives us cost of goods sold equal to 1.5 million and ending work in process worth 60,000. The presence of the work in process gives us a chance to improve our financial position. If we report the units in work in process as 80% complete, this will increase our equivalent units to 1,160. This, in turn, will decrease our unit cost to about 1,345 and cost of goods sold to 1.345 million. The value of our work in process will increase to 215,200. With those financial stats, the loan would be a cinch. Donna: Gary, I dont know. What youre suggesting is risky. It wouldnt take much auditing skill to catch this one. Gary: You dont have to worry about that. The auditors wont be here for at least 6 to 8 more weeks. By that time, we can have those partially completed units completed and sold. I can bury the labor cost by having some of our more loyal workers work overtime for some bonuses. The overtime will never be reported. And, as you know, bonuses come out of the corporate budget and are assigned to overheadnext years overhead. Donna, this will work. If we look good and get the loan to boot, corporate headquarters will treat us well. If we dont do this, we could lose our jobs. Required: 1. Should Donna agree to Garys proposal? Why or why not? To assist in deciding, review the corporate code of ethics standards described in Chapter 1. Do any apply? 2. Assume that Donna refuses to cooperate and that Gary accepts this decision and drops the matter. Does Donna have any obligation to report the divisional managers behavior to a superior? Explain. 3. Assume that Donna refuses to cooperate; however, Gary insists that the changes be made. Now what should she do? What would you do? 4. Suppose that Donna is 63 and that the prospects for employment elsewhere are bleak. Assume again that Gary insists that the changes be made. Donna also knows that his supervisor, the owner of the company, is his father-in-law. Under these circumstances, would your recommendations for Donna differ?

Jacobs Inc. is a relatively new company that has established a position in the highly competitive biotechnology industry. Which of the following statements is correct regarding Jacobs’ profitability? a. Profits will increase when buyers have lower switching costs. b. Significant up-front capital requirements for new entrants will help Jacobs’ profit margins. c. Profitability is diminished when there are many suppliers. d. Rival firms willing to spend a lot of money on advertising will increase Jacobs’ profits

1) Brandon Production is a small firm focused on the assembly and sale of custom computers. The firm is facing stiff competition from low-priced alternatives, and is looking at various solutions to remain competitive and profitable. Current financials for the firm are shown in the table below. In the first option, marketing will increase sales (and costs) by 50%. The next option is Vendor (Supplier) changes, which would result in a decrease of 12% in the cost of inputs. Finally, there is an OM option, which would reduce production costs by 25%. Which of the options would you recommend to the firm if it can only pursue one option? In addition, comment on the feasibility of each option. Business Function Current Value Cost of Inputs $50,000 Production Costs $30,000 Revenue $83,000

Company KIM has limited resources to invest and is currently evaluating its investment opportunities for the coming year. The company plans to purchase a digitally controlled machinery to increase its production capacity in order to meet increasing demand. As technology evolves, the company is facing skill gap and plans to invest in workforce upskilling through employee training and development. However, employees’ upskilling needs depend on their current skills and their role in the company. The company can also recruit professional outsiders by offering attractive salary packages. Which investment option is considered an independent project and why? Which investment options are mutually exclusive and why? Project NAG generates positive cash flows of $60,000 per year at the end of each of the next five years. The project's NPV is $75,000, and WACC is 10%. What’s project NAG’s cost? What’s project NAG’s regular payback? answer with workings, thank you very much

CEO, Worthington Industries (WOR) (a high-technology steel company) slogan : “We try to find the best technology, stay ahead of the competition, and serve the customer...We’ll make any investment that will pay back quickly...but if it is something that we really see as a must down the road, payback is not going to be that important.” In a post of approximately 150 words, explain the role of capital investment analysis for this company

Identify each of the following risks as most likely to be systematic risk or diversifiable risk: The risk that the economy slows, decreasing demand for your firm’s products due to COVID-19. The risk that your best employees will be hired away. The risk that the new product you expect your R&D division to produce will not materialize.

JW Computers is a small firm focused on the assembly and sale of custom computers. The firm is facing stiff competition from low-priced alternatives, and is looking at various solutions to remain competitive and profitable. Current financials for the firm are shown in the table below. In the 1st option, marketing will increase sales by 50%. The 2nd option is Vendor (Supplier) changes, which would result in a decrease of 10% in the cost of inputs. Finally, there is the 3rd OM option, which would reduce production costs by 25%. a. Which of the 3 options would you recommend to the firm if it can only pursue one option? b. What is the new profit for the 1st option? c. What is the new profit for the 2nd option?

The top managers at Latoya's Lanterns are evaluating two new projects: Project A involves a nationwide expansion and marketing campaign and Project B involves investing in the research and design team and licensing the best new lanterns to other large companies. The head of sales advocates for Project A; she says, "The revenue on this proposal is huge! It'll bring in way more money for the company!" The head of R&D advocates for Project B; she says "Yes, A has a high revenue, but up front costs are too high and there's a lot more uncertainty about how many sales we'll make, especially further into the future. Project B is smaller, but it has a higher expected NPV." Answer the following questions. From a finance perspective, which manager has the better argument, Sales or R&D? Why? Which project would you probably support? What financial information would you want to see before picking a project to support? What non-finance information might influence your decision in favor of…

The president of Bright Corporation tells you that he sees a dim future for his company. He feels that his hands are tied because fixed costs are too high. He says that fixed costs do not change and therefore the situation is hopeless. Do you agree? Explain.

Fred Jackson, president and owner of Bailey Company, is concerned about the company's ability to obtain a loan from a major bank. The loan is a key factor in the firm's plan to expand its operations. Demand for the firm's product is high—too high for the current production capacity to handle. Fred is convinced that a new plant is needed. Building the new plant, however, will require an infusion of new capital. Fred calls a meeting with Karla Jones, financial vice president. Fred: Karla, what is the status of our loan application? Do you think that the bank will approve? Karla: Perhaps, but at this point, there is a real risk. The loan officer has requested a complete set of financials for this year and the past 2 years. He has indicated that he is particularly interested in the statement of cash flows. As you know, our income statement looks great for all 3 years, but the statement of cash flows will show a significant increase in receivables, especially for this year. It will also…

Imagine as a divisional manager and currently a member of a committee which is considering two product investments proposed by two other divisional managers: Jill and Bill. While walking over to the presentations, Jill seems rather arrogant. He mentions that he golfs with the CEO, is a key player in the firm, and that the divisional manager could really learn a lot from him. In thinking over the projects after the presentations, the manager finds he is really leaning toward Bill’s proposal even though the projects are quite similar in terms of estimated cash lows and risks. How can this be explained in behavioral finance? Please provide references and in text citations.

Solution Summary: The author explains the role of capital investment analysis for the given companies. In case of Company W, the focus is more on technology, prevailing competition in the market, and customer satisfaction.

Videos

Want to see the full answer?

Chapter 12 Solutions