MHR 523 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Billable Hours, The Law Firm, Delphi Method

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4 Dec 2017

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Mhr 523 sample ratio analysis question: sandeep and dora are work in hr for a medium sized law firm in toronto. (2018). Sandeep suggests _____________ forecasting techniques are superior because they make use of empirical (numerical) data. Dora believes that _________________ forecasting techniques are better because there is no substitute for managerial expertise. Note: this question refers to lecture 3 hr planning and was posted in lecture 4. Mhr 523 sample ratio analysis question - answers: sandeep and dora are work in hr for a medium sized law firm in toronto. (2018). Sandeep suggests quantitative forecasting techniques are superior because they make use of empirical (numerical) data. Dora believes that qualitative forecasting techniques are better because there is no substitute for managerial expertise. They are trying to forecast the company"s demand for lawyers for next year: )f sandeep"s approach is taken, which techniques might the organization use, )f dora"s approach is taken, which techniques might the organization use to.

Related Questions

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT- 14th Edition Chapter #23 - Mini Case

Assume you have just been hired as a financial analyst by Tennessee Sunshine Inc., a mid-sized Tennessee company that specializes in creating exotic sauces from imported fruits and vegetables. The firmâs CEO, Bill Stooksbury, recently returned from an industry corporate executive conference in San Francisco, and one of the sessions he attended was on the pressing need for companies to institute enterprise risk management programs. Because no one at Tennessee Sunshine is familiar with the basics of enterprise risk management, Stooksbury has asked you to prepare a brief report that the firmâs executives could use to gain at least a cursory understanding of the topics.

To begin, you gathered some outside materials on derivatives and risk management and used these materials to draft a list of pertinent questions that need to be answered. In fact, one possible approach to the paper is to use a question-and-answer format. Now that the questions have been drafted, you have to develop the answers.

a. Why might stockholders be indifferent to whether or not a firm reduces the volatility of its cash flows?

b. What are six reasons risk management might increase the value of a corporation?

c. What is COSO? How does COSO define enterprise risk management?

d. Describe the eight components of the COSO ERM framework.

e. Describe some of the risks events within the following major categories of risk:

o (1) strategy and reputation,

o (2) control and compliance,

o (3) hazards,

o (4) human resources,

o (5) operations,

o (6) technology, and

o (7) financial management.

f. What are some actions that companies can take to minimize or reduce risk exposures?

g. What are forward contracts? How can they be used to manage foreign exchange risk?

h. Describe how commodity futures markets can be used to reduce input price risk.

i. It is January, and Tennessee Sunshine is considering issuing $5 million in bonds in June to raise capital for an expansion. Currently, the firm can issue 20-year bonds with a 7% coupon (with interest paid semiannually), but interest rates are on the rise and Stooksbury is concerned that long-term interest rates might rise by as much as 1% before June. You looked online and found that June T-bond futures are trading at 111â25 . What are the risks of not hedging, and how might TS hedge this exposure? In your analysis, consider what would happen if interest rates all increased by 1% .

j. What is a swap? Suppose two firms have different credit ratings. Firm Hi can borrow fixed at 11% and floating at LIBOR + 1% . Firm Lo can borrow fixed at 11.4% and floating at LIBOR + 1.5% . Describe a floating versus fixed interest rate swap between firms Hi and Lo in which Lo also makes a âside paymentâ of 45 basis points to Firm L.

QUESTION 1

In the lease versus buy decision, leasing is often preferable

	A.	because the lessee owns the property at the end of the least term.
	B.	because lease obligations do not affect the firm's risk as seen by investors.
	C.	because, generally, no down payment is required, and there are no indirect interest costs.
	D.	because it has no effect on the firm's ability to borrow to make other investments.
	E.	because the lessee may have greater flexibility in abandoning the project in which the leased property is used than if the lessee bought and owned the asset.

2 points

QUESTION 2

The tighter the probability distribution of its expected future returns, the greater the risk of a given investment as measured by its standard deviation.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 3

Ratio analysis involves analyzing financial statements in order to appraise a firm's financial position and strength.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 4

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

	A.	If the returns on two stocks are perfectly positively correlated (i.e., the correlation coefficient is +1.0) and these stocks have identical standard deviations, an equally weighted portfolio of the two stocks will have a standard deviation that is less than that of the individual stocks.
	B.	If a stock has a negative beta, its expected return must be negative.
	C.	A portfolio with a large number of randomly selected stocks would have less market risk than a single stock that has a beta of 0.5.
	D.	According to the CAPM, stocks with higher standard deviations of returns must also have higher expected returns.
	E.	A portfolio with a large number of randomly selected stocks would have more market risk than a single stock that has a beta of 0.5, assuming that the stock's beta was correctly calculated and is stable.

2 points

QUESTION 5

Many leases written today combine the features of operating and financial leases. Such leases are often called "combination leases."

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 6

The owner of a convertible bond owns, in effect, both a bond and a call option.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 7

If a firm raises capital by selling new bonds, it is called the "issuing firm," and the coupon rate is generally set equal to the required rate on bonds of equal risk.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 8

Which of the following statements is most CORRECT?

	A.	Warrants can sometimes be detached and traded separately from the debt with which they were issued, but this is unusual.
	B.	One important difference between warrants and convertibles is that convertibles bring in additional funds when they are converted, but exercising warrants does not bring in any additional funds.
	C.	The coupon rate on convertible debt is normally set below the coupon rate that would be set on otherwise similar straight debt even though investing in convertibles is more risky than investing in straight debt.
	D.	Warrants have an option feature but convertibles do not.
	E.	The value of a warrant to buy a safe, stable stock should exceed the value of a warrant to buy a risky, volatile stock, other things held constant.

2 points

QUESTION 9

Because of improvements in forecasting techniques, estimating the cash flows associated with a project has become the easiest step in the capital budgeting process.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 10

The form of organization for a business is not an important issue, as this decision has very little effect on the income and wealth of the firm's owners.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 11

Two important issues in corporate governance are (1) the rules that cover the board's ability to fire the CEO and (2) the rules that cover the CEO's ability to remove members of the board.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 12

The "preferred" feature of preferred stock means that it normally will provide a higher expected return than will common stock.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 13

If an investment project would make use of land which the firm currently owns, the project should be charged with the opportunity cost of the land.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 14

Operating leases help to shift the risk of obsolescence from the user to the lessor.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 15

Starting to invest early for retirement increases the benefits of compound interest.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 16

Market risk refers to the tendency of a stock to move with the general stock market. A stock with above-average market risk will tend to be more volatile than an average stock, and its beta will be greater than 1.0.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 17

Other things held constant, an increase in the cost of capital will result in a decrease in a project's IRR.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 18

An option is a contract that gives its holder the right to buy or sell an asset at a predetermined price within a specified period of time.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 19

The optimal distribution policy strikes that balance between current dividends and capital gains that maximizes the firm's stock price.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 20

If the current price of a stock is below the strike price, then an option to buy the stock is worthless and will have a zero value.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 21

The desire for floating-rate bonds, and consequently their increased usage, arose out of the experience of the early 1980s, when inflation pushed interest rates up to very high levels and thus caused sharp declines in the prices of outstanding bonds.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 22

Taylor Inc. estimates that its average-risk projects have a WACC of 10%, its below-average risk projects have a WACC of 8%, and its above-average risk projects have a WACC of 12%. Which of the following projects (A, B, and C) should the company accept?

	A.	Project C, which is of above-average risk and has a return of 11%.
	B.	Project A, which is of average risk and has a return of 9%.
	C.	None of the projects should be accepted.
	D.	All of the projects should be accepted.
	E.	Project B, which is of below-average risk and has a return of 8.5%.

2 points

QUESTION 23

To finance the construction of a new plant, Pietersen Corporation must raise an additional $10,000,000 of equity capital through the sale of common stock. The firm currently has an EPS of $5.40 and a P/E ratio of 10, with 1,200,000 shares outstanding. If the firm wants its ex-rights price to be $50, what subscription price must it set on the new shares?

	A.	$39.28
	B.	$50.00
	C.	$29.55
	D.	$41.80
	E.	$33.78

2 points

QUESTION 24

Which of the following statements is CORRECT, assuming positive interest rates and holding other things constant?

	A.	A 30-year, $150,000 amortized mortgage will have larger monthly payments than an otherwise similar 20-year mortgage.
	B.	A bank loan's nominal interest rate will always be equal to or less than its effective annual rate.
	C.	The present value of a 5-year, $250 annuity due will be lower than the PV of a similar ordinary annuity.
	D.	If an investment pays 10% interest, compounded annually, its effective annual rate will be less than 10%.
	E.	Banks A and B offer the same nominal annual rate of interest, but A pays interest quarterly and B pays semiannually. Deposits in Bank B will provide the higher future value if you leave your funds on deposit.

2 points

QUESTION 25

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

	A.	In the statement of cash flows, a decrease in inventories is reported as a use of cash.
	B.	In the statement of cash flows, a decrease in accounts receivable is reported as a use of cash.
	C.	In the statement of cash flows, depreciation charges are reported as a use of cash.
	D.	In the statement of cash flows, a decrease in accounts payable is reported as a use of cash.
	E.	Dividends do not show up in the statement of cash flows because dividends are considered to be a financing activity, not an operating activity.

2 points

QUESTION 26

The term "additional funds needed (AFN)" is generally defined as follows:

	A.	A forecasting approach in which the forecasted percentage of sales for each balance sheet account is held constant.
	B.	Funds that are obtained automatically from routine business transactions.
	C.	Funds that a firm must raise externally from non-spontaneous sources, i.e., by borrowing or by selling new stock to support operations.
	D.	The amount of internally generated cash in a given year minus the amount of cash needed to acquire the new assets needed to support growth.
	E.	The amount of assets required per dollar of sales.

2 points

QUESTION 27

The cash flows associated with common stock are more difficult to estimate than those related to bonds because stock has a residual claim against the company versus a contractual obligation for a bond.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 28

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

	A.	The NPV method automatically deals correctly with externalities, even if the externalities are not specifically identified, but the IRR method does not. This is another reason to favor the NPV.
	B.	Identifying an externality can never lead to an increase in the calculated NPV.
	C.	Both the NPV and IRR methods deal correctly with externalities, even if the externalities are not specifically identified. However, the payback method does not.
	D.	An example of an externality is a situation where a bank opens a new office, and that new office causes deposits in the bank's other offices to increase.
	E.	An externality is a situation where a project would have an adverse effect on some other part of the firm's overall operations. If the project would have a favorable effect on other operations, then this is not an externality.

2 points

QUESTION 29

Time lines can be constructed in situations where some of the cash flows occur annually but others occur quarterly.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 30

A warrant is an option, and as such it cannot be used as a "sweetener."

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 31

BLW Corporation is considering the terms to be set on the options it plans to issue to its executives. Which of the following actions would decrease the value of the options, other things held constant?

	A.	The life of the option is increased, i.e., the time until it expires is lengthened.
	B.	The exercise price of the option is increased.
	C.	The Federal Reserve takes actions that increase the risk-free rate.
	D.	BLW's stock price becomes more risky (higher variance).
	E.	BLW's stock price suddenly increases.

2 points

QUESTION 32

Convertible debentures for Kulik Corporation were issued at their $1,000 par value in 2012. At any time prior to maturity on February 1, 2032, a debenture holder can exchange a bond for 25 shares of common stock. What is the conversion price, Pc?

	A.	$48.62
	B.	$40.00
	C.	$42.00
	D.	$46.31
	E.	$44.10

2 points

QUESTION 33

A stock is expected to pay a dividend of $0.75 at the end of the year. The required rate of return is rs = 10.5%, and the expected constant growth rate is g = 6.4%. What is the stock's current price?

	A.	$18.29
	B.	$17.39
	C.	$19.22
	D.	$18.75
	E.	$17.84

2 points

QUESTION 34

If a firm's goal is to maximize its earnings per share, this is the best way to maximize the price of the common stock and thus shareholders' wealth.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 35

The common stock of Southern Airlines currently sells for $33, and its 8% convertible debentures (issued at par, or $1,000) sell for $850. Each debenture can be converted into 25 shares of common stock at any time before 2025. What is the conversion value of the bond?

	A.	$783.75
	B.	$744.56
	C.	$825.00
	D.	$866.25
	E.	$707.33

2 points

QUESTION 36

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

	A.	If interest rates increase, the price of a 10-year coupon bond will decline by a greater percentage than the price of a 10-year zero coupon bond.
	B.	If a bond's yield to maturity exceeds its annual coupon, then the bond will trade at a premium.
	C.	If a coupon bond is selling at par, its current yield equals its yield to maturity.
	D.	If a coupon bond is selling at a premium, its current yield equals its yield to maturity.
	E.	If a coupon bond is selling at a discount, its price will continue to decline until it reaches its par value at maturity.

2 points

QUESTION 37

A proxy is a document giving one party the authority to act for another party, including the power to vote shares of common stock. Proxies can be important tools relating to control of firms.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 38

Projects S and L are equally risky, mutually exclusive, and have normal cash flows. Project S has an IRR of 15%, while Project L's IRR is 12%. The two projects have the same NPV when the WACC is 7%. Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

	A.	Project S's NPV is more sensitive to changes in WACC than Project L's.
	B.	If the WACC is 13%, Project S will have the lower NPV.
	C.	If the WACC is 6%, Project S will have the higher NPV.
	D.	If the WACC is 10%, both projects will have positive NPVs.
	E.	If the WACC is 10%, both projects will have a negative NPV.

2 points

QUESTION 39

A firm's AFN must come from external sources. Typical sources include short-term bank loans, long-term bonds, preferred stock, and common stock.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 40

Which of the following could explain why a business might choose to operate as a corporation rather than as a sole proprietorship or a partnership?

	A.	Less of a corporation's income is generally subjected to taxes than would be true if the firm were a partnership.
	B.	Corporate shareholders escape liability for the firm's debts, but this factor may be offset by the tax disadvantages of the corporate form of organization.
	C.	Corporations generally find it relatively difficult to raise large amounts of capital.
	D.	Corporations generally face relatively few regulations.
	E.	Corporate investors are exposed to unlimited liability.

2 points

QUESTION 41

The cost of debt is equal to one minus the marginal tax rate multiplied by the average coupon rate on all outstanding debt.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 42

Amram Company's current ratio is 1.9. Considered alone, which of the following actions would reduce the company's current ratio?

	A.	Use cash to reduce accruals.
	B.	Borrow using short-term notes payable and use the proceeds to reduce long-term debt.
	C.	Use cash to reduce accounts payable.
	D.	Borrow using short-term notes payable and use the proceeds to reduce accruals.
	E.	Use cash to reduce short-term notes payable.

2 points

QUESTION 43

ESOPs were originally designed to help improve worker productivity, but today they are also used to help prevent hostile takeovers.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 44

High current and quick ratios always indicate that a firm is managing its liquidity position well.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 45

A firm should never accept a project if its acceptance would lead to an increase in the firm's cost of capital (its WACC).

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 46

"Capital" is sometimes defined as funds supplied to a firm by investors.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 47

Heavy use of off-balance sheet lease financing will tend to

	A.	affect a company's cash flows but not its degree of risk.
	B.	make a company appear less risky than it actually is because its stated debt ratio will appear lower.
	C.	make a company appear more risky than it actually is because its stated debt ratio will be increased.
	D.	affect the lessee's cash flows but only due to tax effects.
	E.	have no effect on either cash flows or risk because the cash flows are already reflected in the income statement.

2 points

QUESTION 48

As a firm's sales grow, its current assets also tend to increase. For instance, as sales increase, the firm's inventories generally increase, and purchases of inventories result in more accounts payable. Thus, spontaneous liabilities that reduce AFN arise from transactions brought on by sales increases.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 49

On the balance sheet, total assets must always equal total liabilities and equity.

True

False

2 points

QUESTION 50

The annual report contains four basic financial statements: the income statement, balance sheet, statement of cash flows, and statement of stockholders' equity.

True

False

I need help find the Weighted Average Cost of Capital as well as the Weighted Average Flotation Costs

COST OF CAPITAL EXERCISE

The Stone Meat Corporation is a mediumâsized agricultural products company headquartered in Ogden, Utah. Its primary products are beef, pork and poultry and include packaged deli meats to half animals sold directly to in-store butcher markets in the retail grocery stores. They also supply their own butcher packs to various retail outlets including grocery stores, big box stores, and restaurants. In addition, they have their own factory store. The firm's products are well recognized within the markets in terms of quality and food safety.

During the 2000's and the early 2010's sales and earnings had grown rapidly. Sales in 2002 were approximately $60 million, but had reached $180 million by 2012. Per share earnings and dividends more than kept pace. The relevant figures are contained in Exhibit 1.

In order to support the firm's expansion, substantial expenditures on plant and equipment were required during the period indicated. The majority of funds came from retained earnings and the private placement of debentures with insurance companies. In 2004, however, the company was forced to sell additional common stock because it felt that the debt level, which would ensue from trying to borrow the money to keep up its expansion program, would be excessive. In particular, possible adverse effects in its stock price were feared since, at the time, the firm's ratio of debt to total capitalization was already somewhat above the industry average of 30 percent. The firm's balance sheet as of December 31, 2012 is shown in Exhibit 1.

Originally, the company's Board of Directors had established a policy of paying out half its annual earnings as dividends. The actual percentage varied from year to year because an attempt was made to stabilize the dividends despite fluctuating profit. By the late 2000's, this policy had been revised to set oneâthird of earnings as the target payâout ratio due to the continuing need for capital. At their last annual meeting, the Directors announced that the 2012 dividend would be 60 cents per share, payable quarterly in 15 cent installments. The company's stock is listed on the AMEX and trades actively. The range of yearly stock prices is included in Exhibit 1. The closing price on June 30, 2012 was $24.

Market data indicated that Stone was somewhat less risky than the market as a whole with a beta of .80. Returns on the market were averaging approximately 12% and risk free borrowing was still low following the financial meltdown of 2008. These rates averaged 3.5%. Preferred stock, which had been issued many years ago as a part of a financial deal, was selling at $90 per share. Tax rates had averaged 30% over the last few years.

Early in 2012, the treasurer of Stone was reviewing its investment and financing strategies with an eye toward improving both. The question as to an appropriate cutâoff ratio of return on new investments was of special concern. The treasurer was of the opinion that many capital expenditures had been made in the past without proper analysis. He wanted a figure he could justify to the firm's managers as a cost of capital in order to achieve a more accurate capital budgeting procedure throughout the organization. He felt this was an especially timely move in view of an article he had just read in the WSJ and which is reproduced in Exhibit Ill. Stone's own longârange planning group had earlier forecast a trend not unlike that indicated in the Journal.

The treasurer was well aware that financing did not come free and that the costs of issuance of preferred stock would cost 8%, bonds would cost 4% and equity 12%. He thought it important to determine how such costs would inflate the costs of any proposed projects the company might pursue in the futures. Thus he wanted to determine what the total cost of a $1,000,000 investment would be after considering any financing costs.

Year	Sales in MillionsOf Dollars	EPS	DPS	Stock Price Range
2002	60	0.560	0.30	6-10
2003	63	0.500	0.30	5-9
2004	68	0.710	0.35	5-10
2005	85	0.880	0.40	8-12
2006	97	0.820	0.45	9-14
2007	119	0.940	0.45	12-20
2008	130	1.110	0.45	11-18
2009	145	1.350	0.45	15-24
2010	164	1.300	0.50	17-27
2011	173	1.600	0.50	20-30
2012	180	1.750	0.60	24-32

Exhibit II

Balance Sheet As of 12/31/2012 (figures in millions)

Cash	20
Accounts Receivable	10
Inventories	30
Plant and Equipment, net	60

Total Assets	120

Accounts Payable	20
Misc Accruals	10
Preferred Stock (5%)	10
Long term Debt	24
Common Stock (2.5 million shares)	12
Capital Surplus	4
Retained Earnings	40

Total Liabilities and Equity	120

The firm's bonds carried a 6% coupon, (paid semi-
annually) a 12/31/2022 maturity and were selling for
$960 as of 6/30/2012.

EXHIBIT III

Article taken form the February 7, 2012 issue of the Wall Street Journal.

Meat Processing Industry To Be Hurt by Increasing Prices?

Decimated Life stock Herds Also Contribute to Price Increases.

Kansas (AP) â The ConAgra Corporation, in a recent annual meeting announcement, forecast a trailing off of sales in its meat processing division. That division, which had been growing at a rate equivalent to three times the CPI growth rate throughout the 2000's and early 2010's, may be hit by decreases in household expenditures as the effects of the most recent financial crisis are still lingering for the decimated middle class. Retail outlets such as restaurants and grocery stores are reporting that sales of beef and pork products are declining in response to price pressures. Disease that swept through beef and pork herds, are also having a telling effect. Other sources close to the industry confirm the ConAgra prognosis. They estimate the best forecasts that their economists can come up with indicate a decline of about five percent in the growth rate which had been experienced in the last 12 to 15 years. ConAgra is curtailing several plant expansions in its meat processing division which were on the drawing board for the midâ2010's." We are moderately pessimistic," a company spokesman indicated, "and are going to adopt a wait and see attitude for the next year or so."

Hints

Create the Cost of Capital

Number of shares can be determined by taking the book value and dividing by the par value of the securities.

Market value is shares X price.

Average the two possible ways to calculate the cost of equity

Remember the tax rate.

Assume the bonds are semi - annual

The term to maturity is from 6/30/2012 to 12/31/2022 or 10.5 years. This info is in the footnote to Exhibit II

The growth rate should be determined from the EPS data and the adjustment to the growth rate is in Exhibit III

Create the Weighted Average Flotation Cost

What is the cost of equity using the dividend growth model? (Decimal answer to the fourth decimal place)

Given the $1,000,000 cost of the investment, what is the total cost of the investment including flotation costs? (Round to whole numbers)

MHR 523 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Billable Hours, The Law Firm, Delphi Method

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