Author: chris

Assignment 1: LASA # 2—Capital Budgeting Techniques

As a financial consultant, you have contracted with Wheel Industries to evaluate their procedures involving the evaluation of long term investment opportunities.  You have agreed to provide a detailed report illustrating the use of several techniques for evaluating capital projects including the weighted average cost of capital to the firm, the anticipated cash flows for the projects, and the methods used for project selection.  In addition, you have been asked to evaluate two projects, incorporating risk into the calculations.

You have also agreed to provide an 8-10 page report, in good form, with detailed explanation of your methodology, findings, and recommendations.

Company Information

Wheel Industries is considering a three-year expansion project, Project A.  The project requires an initial investment of $1.5 million. The project will use the straight-line depreciation method. The project has no salvage value. It is estimated that the project will generate additional revenues of $1.2 million per year before tax and has additional annual costs of $600,000.  The Marginal Tax rate is 35%.

Required:

1. Wheel has just paid a dividend of $2.50 per share. The dividends are expected to grow at a constant rate of six percent per year forever. If the stock is currently selling for $50 per share with a 10% flotation cost, what is the cost of new equity for the firm? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of financing for the firm?
2. The firm is considering using debt in its capital structure. If the market rate of 5% is appropriate for debt of this kind, what is the after tax cost of debt for the company? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this type of financing for the firm?
3. The firm has decided on a capital structure consisting of 30% debt and 70% new common stock. Calculate the WACC and explain how it is used in the capital budgeting process.
4. Calculate the after tax cash flows for the project for each year. Explain the methods used in your calculations.
5. If the discount rate were 6 percent calculate the NPV of the project. Is this an economically acceptable project to undertake? Why or why not?
6. Now calculate the IRR for the project. Is this an acceptable project? Why or why not? Is there a conflict between your answer to part C? Explain why or why not?

 

Wheel has two other possible investment opportunities, which are mutually exclusive, and independent of Investment A above.  Both investments will cost $120,000 and have a life of 6 years. The after tax cash flows are expected to be the same over the six year life for both projects, and the probabilities for each year’s after tax cash flow is given in the table below.

Investment B			Investment C
Probability	After Tax Cash Flow		Probability	After Tax Cash Flow
0.25	$20,000		0.30	$22,000
0.50	32,000		0.50	40,000
0.25	40,000		0.20	50,000

 

7. What is the expected value of each project’s annual after tax cash flow? Justify your answers and identify any conflicts between the IRR and the NPV and explain why these conflicts may occur.
8. Assuming that the appropriate discount rate for projects of this risk level is 8%, what is the risk-adjusted NPV for each project? Which project, if either, should be selected? Justify your conclusions.

Turn in your completed work to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox by Monday, January 18, 201

Capacity management in businesses is a function of their operations and environment. In today’s business world, evaluating and managing capacities is becoming significantly more difficult. Therefore, managers need to do a balancing act to reduce costs and effectively utilize available capacities.

Using the online library resources and the Internet, research capacity management.

Then respond to the following:

• Which type of operation has a more difficult time managing capacities: an environment supporting standardized products or one supporting customized products? Why? State your reason(s) and provide examples.

After your initial post, discuss the following:

• Among other decisions an operations manager makes, the one pertaining to capacities is the most critical. Why is it considered a critical decision? Which area do you think is more challenging as it pertains to capacity planning? Make sure your answer addresses the productivity aspect as well as the uncertainty element.
• Briefly describe how uncertainty affects capacity decisions.
• Why is capacity planning for a service more challenging than it is for a goods producer?
• How do capacity decisions affect productivity?

Write your initial response in 200 to 300 words. Give examples in support of your responses, be sure to include numerical examples where required. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

Capacity management in businesses is a function of their operations and environment. In today’s business world, evaluating and managing capacities is becoming significantly more difficult. Therefore, managers need to do a balancing act to reduce costs and effectively utilize available capacities.

Using the online library resources and the Internet, research capacity management.

Then respond to the following:

• Which type of operation has a more difficult time managing capacities: an environment supporting standardized products or one supporting customized products? Why? State your reason(s) and provide examples.

After your initial post, discuss the following:

• Among other decisions an operations manager makes, the one pertaining to capacities is the most critical. Why is it considered a critical decision? Which area do you think is more challenging as it pertains to capacity planning? Make sure your answer addresses the productivity aspect as well as the uncertainty element.
• Briefly describe how uncertainty affects capacity decisions.
• Why is capacity planning for a service more challenging than it is for a goods producer?
• How do capacity decisions affect productivity?

Write your initial response in 200 to 300 words. Give examples in support of your responses, be sure to include numerical examples where required. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

Select a program that you would like to develop in your community or city based on one of the six most prevalent serious health problems currently faced by communities today such as poverty, health security, and communicable diseases.

Based on your research, create a 2-page report in a Microsoft Word document including answers to the following questions:

• Identify your chosen problem and why it is a health community concern?
• Identify how you will assess the need for the program? What type of data will you review?
• How do you determine the target audience? List any one goal and three objectives. What do you want to achieve when you develop the program? What will be the outcome? What is the purpose of developing goal and objectives?
• How will you get people in the community involved to gain support for your proposal?
• What realistic method will be used to market the program in your community? Keep in mind the location, transportation, parking, and type of building.
• How will you implement the program? What type of “best practice” strategy will you include in your program?
• What type of feedback will you gather to analyze, if the program was successful? Why accurate feedback is critical to make certain, the program is a success? How will you collect objective data?

Provide at least two scholarly resources taken from the South University Online Library to support your effor

Several players interact with each other in the courtroom. Of those players, we see two profiles often in popular media: criminal defense lawyers and the prosecution. Both are responsible for taking a case from its preliminary phases to trial and beyond. Both gather evidence, interview witnesses, and develop possible arguments for their cases. Both are responsible for presenting the best outcome, whether they believe in the reasoning or not. In this assignment, you will have the experience of developing an argument for a criminal case.

Activity Details

Step 1: Identify a criminal case that you feel passionately about. Find an article related to a criminal case in the Argosy University online library to use in the summary.

Complete the following tasks.

Write a one-page summary of the case. The summary should include:

• The alleged crime that occurred
• The elements of the crime
• The evidence presented in the case
• The possible defenses

Step 2: Write a one-page argument for the defendant as if you were the defense attorney on the case. In your argument:

• Address the jury by introducing yourself and the client named in the case.
• Highlight the strengths of the case by telling the jury your client’s side.
• Personalize the case by telling the jury about your client.
• Acknowledge the weaknesses that the other side will point out.
• Discuss any defenses you may use during the case.
• Request an outcome from the jury, which is normally a not-guilty verdict for the defendant.

Step 3: Write a one-page argument as if you were the prosecutor on the case. In your argument:

• Address the jury by introducing yourself and the state you represent.
• Highlight the strengths of the case by telling the jury why the defendant is guilty.
• Personalize the case by describing the aftermath of the crime, the victims, and the harm caused to society because of the crime.
• Acknowledge the weaknesses that the other side will point out.
• Request an outcome from the jury, which is normally a guilty verdict for the defendant.

Step 4: Conduct an internet search of government and career sites (e.g. bls.gov, jobs.com, monster.com, etc) to locate recent information on the career prospects for Defense Attorneys/Prosecutors in your geographic location. Present your findings, including related job titles, potential employers, a summary of this job function, the education and experience required to qualify for this position, and the average salary one could expect to earn.

Step 5: Save and submit the assignment.

Submission Details:

1. Save your document as M2_A2_Lastname_Firstname.doc.
2. By Week 2, Day 7, submit your final document to the M2: Assignment 2 Dropbox.

All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria	Maximum Points
Submitted a one-page summary of the case, which included: The alleged crime that occurred The elements of the crime The evidence presented in the case The possible defenses	20
Submitted a one-page argument as the defense attorney for the case and discussed all the listed points.	8
Submitted a one-page argument as the prosecutor for the case and discussed all the listed points.	8
Highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of both sides of the case.	12
Personalized each argument by introducing yourself and the client and discussed about the victims of the crime and harm caused to society due to the crime.	8
Stated clearly the arguments that could be used in defending the accused.	8
Requested an outcome from the jury.	8
Provided relevant information on the career prospects for Defense Attorneys/Prosecutors.	8
Wrote in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrated ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; displayed accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Understanding the best practices that others have taken on the road to success can assist you in your own journey. Best practices usually cannot be simply “copied and pasted” from one industry, business, or situation to another. But, through the process of sharing and synthesizing each other’s ideas, it is possible to find new ways to improve your own experience, both personally and professionally.

For this Discussion, read the case study:

“WestJet Airlines: Information Technology Governance and Corporate Strategy” by Malcolm Munro and Sharaz Khan.

By Day 5:

Post your description and analysis of the case, as it pertains to the following prompts:

• How can Cheryl Smith help managers at WestJet better understand the role of information technology in corporate strategy?
• How might WestJet’s experience influence the way your organization aligns its IT and business strategies?
• Based on an Internet or Walden Library search, describe the best tools and techniques organizations can use to align IT strategy with business strategy. What alternatives do organizations have to ensure their IT and business strategies are in alignment?
• What risks does the organization take if it does not invest in the resources necessary for maintaining alignment between IT and business strategy?

Review a selection of your colleagues’ posts from earlier in the week, focusing on the best practices and key activities that are necessary in successfully managing business information systems. By Day 7, respond to two or more of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:

• Explain the similarities and/or differences between your own findings and those identified by your colleague. Why do you think your analysis of the case was similar to or different from your colleague’s?
• Share what you believe could potentially impede or enable an organization when aligning its IT and business strategy.
• Offer additional best practices or tools organizations could use in aligning IT strategy and business strategy. Explain why those are important and effective. What specific steps does an organization need to take to make sure it continuously monitors how well these strategies align?

Please be specific, and use citations and references as appropriate and necessary.

Click on the Reply button below to reveal the textbox for entering your message. Then click on the Submit button to post your message.

Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 400–600 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.

Briefly discuss the economic, political, educational, family, and marital systems of a country of your choice. Include a response to the following questions in your discussion:

• If your company was to do business in your chosen country, what kind of social hierarchies and social interactions should you be aware of?
• What kind of management style would you use to be most effective given the cultural attributes of the country?
• How would you overcome the barriers to communication?
• Do you agree with the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do” when it comes to doing business

http://www.essaywritershub.com/wp-admin/post-new.php

This is an outline you should use for your case study analysis. 

 Overview (your case study analysis will consist of 4 parts):

1. Situation analysis

2. Statement of the problem(s)

3. Development of alternatives

4. Evaluation and recommendation

 

Be sure to label each section as you answer it in your paper. Below is an explanation of each section. Pay attention to the areas in bolded type.

 

1. SITUATION ANALYSIS

This is a “state of current affairs” section. It sets up how the company has been doing. This includes a brief history of the company and an analysis of current situation (SWOT, etc.).

This section should highlight key points about the company that are relevant to the business challenge at hand.

 

2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 

Explain the main problem(s) as best you can.

 

3. DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES

Explain the main decision criteria that you will be using. Provide as many possible alternatives that would (in your opinion) solve the problems you mention above, noting the pros and cons of each one.

Remember, one alternative is always the status quo (conscious decision that the current strategy in use (with some modifications) is the best course of action in the current situation).

 

4. EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION

Once you have developed a set of alternatives, it is time to do a thorough evaluation of each of the options. Assess how well the alternative addresses the problem(s). How consistent is the alternative with the company’s mission, goals, and strategic objectives (as you read about in the case)?

Select the option that addressed most of the key problem and provides for the best solution.

The alternative(s) chosen should be:

Consistent with mission, goals, and objectives as stated

Strongest probable financial performance

Fit with the internal and external environments of the company

 

*Your work should be approximately 4 pages, double-spaced. Copy and paste each section and place your answer beneath each. Please remember to use MS Word ONLY.

Select a program that you would like to develop in your community or city based on one of the six most prevalent serious health problems currently faced by communities today such as poverty, health security, and communicable diseases.

Based on your research, create a 2-page report in a Microsoft Word document including answers to the following questions:

• Identify your chosen problem and why it is a health community concern?
• Identify how you will assess the need for the program? What type of data will you review?
• How do you determine the target audience? List any one goal and three objectives. What do you want to achieve when you develop the program? What will be the outcome? What is the purpose of developing goal and objectives?
• How will you get people in the community involved to gain support for your proposal?
• What realistic method will be used to market the program in your community? Keep in mind the location, transportation, parking, and type of building.
• How will you implement the program? What type of “best practice” strategy will you include in your program?
• What type of feedback will you gather to analyze, if the program was successful? Why accurate feedback is critical to make certain, the program is a success? How will you collect objective data?

Provide at least two scholarly resources taken from the South University Online Library to support your efforts and topic.

Support your responses with examples.

Select a program that you would like to develop in your community or city based on one of the six most prevalent serious health problems currently faced by communities today such as poverty, health security, and communicable diseases.

Based on your research, create a 2-page report in a Microsoft Word document including answers to the following questions:

• Identify your chosen problem and why it is a health community concern?
• Identify how you will assess the need for the program? What type of data will you review?
• How do you determine the target audience? List any one goal and three objectives. What do you want to achieve when you develop the program? What will be the outcome? What is the purpose of developing goal and objectives?
• How will you get people in the community involved to gain support for your proposal?
• What realistic method will be used to market the program in your community? Keep in mind the location, transportation, parking, and type of building.
• How will you implement the program? What type of “best practice” strategy will you include in your program?
• What type of feedback will you gather to analyze, if the program was successful? Why accurate feedback is critical to make certain, the program is a success? How will you collect objective data?

Provide at least two scholarly resources taken from the South University Online Library to support your efforts and topic.

Support your responses with examples.