Question 1
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: During the Carter administration, long-term US Treasury yields exceeded 15%, and short-term T-Bills yielded near 20%. After Reagan's inauguration, interest rates began to fall as Fed Chairman Volcker's restrictive monetary policy succeeded in containing inflation. Over the past 25 years, US rates have steadily declined: T-Bills are hovering under 1% and the long bond is yielding about 4%. Lately, though, rising oil prices have incited inflationary forces. China and other developing nations have increased their consumption for oil, metals, materials, and food. Thus, both foreign and domestic factors have spurred demand and are contributing to rising prices on a global scale. In addition to this commodity-induced inflation, US consumers are faced with rising costs for essential services such as healthcare and education. The Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, is faced with a dilemma. Should the Fed increase rates to contain inflation; or, should the Fed keep rates very low to spur the US economy which is beset by a collapse in home values, an extensive banking crisis, and a faltering stock market ? YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Given this economic background...Compose a 2-4 page report, single-spaced, on the following topic: If the Fed decides to raise interest rates next year, what effect would rising rates have upon the following: (1) Consumer financing for big-ticket items such as autos and homes; (2) the present and future values of annuities; (3) the NPV calculation; (4) the WACC; (5) corporate earnings ? Be sure to illustrate your report with relevant financial numbers. Hint: for topic (3), above, one approach you might adopt is to cite the NPV calculation from the previous case problem, then to contrast it against a new calculation performed with a higher interest rate. Cite the numeric effect upon the NPV, and then explain its rationale and its significance. This is the kind of "numeric illustration" that you should provide for each of the five topic sections.,I'm a very to the point writer. Attached is what I have so far. I just need it fleshed out a little bit, and some help with the formula's they're asking for Eron
Question 2
Marketing Environment Discussion For purposes of this discussion board, you are asked to select a specific new product or service for discussion. This product must be different from any example already posted by your classmates. Your initial posting should consist of a minimum of 5 paragraphs, and any outside sources that you use must be appropriately cited. Your discussion should include: 1. A brief (one paragraph) discussion of the new product. Remember, this product must be different from any example already posted by your classmates. Provide a link to the web site for this product. 2. Identify and explain the environmental force(s) that created the demand and opportunity for this product. Examples of these factors would be: consumers changing their wants and needs (social); changes in technology that makes a new product economically feasible or desirable or renders an existing product obsolete (technology); the establishment of new government regulations or legislation (regulatory); changes in the economic landscape that affect consumer purchasing power and spending (economic); the entrance of a new competitor in the market or alternative forms of competition (competition). 3. How does the new product satisfy the demand created by the environmental forces you identified? Be specific. 4. Identify brand, product and generic competitors for this product. Remember, there are different types of competitors. For example, Coke and Pepsi would be considered ?brand? competitors because they offer the same basic features and benefits at similar prices. However, Coke and Mountain Dew would be considered ?product? competitors because they compete in the same product class (soft drinks). Additionally, Coke faces ?generic? competitors such as water, tea, coffee and juice because these products satisfy the same basic need (thirst).
Question 3
Week 3: We will look at the use of stock in personal financial investments. You will evaluate the choices in purchasing stock via online brokerage accounts (where you can buy and sell stock via the Internet) and the use of dividend reinvestment plans (known as DIPs and DRIPs) or mutual funds or index funds. For online brokers, you will be looking for the requirements to open the accounts: costs, minimum balances, and other features. Because most DIPs or DRIPs are available from publicly traded companies, you can search their Web sites or a search engine on these plans and their requirements. Perhaps the most famous and useful Web site for these programs is http://www.directinvesting.com/. Finally, we want you to compare and contrast online brokerage to DIPs and DRIPs. Research online trading sites and DRIPS as outlined below, and summarize your findings. Make sure to include a summary table of the relevant information. Search three online trading sites, and determine the requirements for trading, including the price per trade. Compare and contrast the online trading companies. (2?3 pages) Search the Web for three companies (look for investor information) that offer DIPs or DRIPs. (2?3 pages) Compare and contrast the requirements, including minimum investments, nature of the return, costs, and other features. (1?2 pages)
Question 4
The main purpose of this assignment is to assess a value chain for its effectiveness. The intent is to assess the outcome of the value chain analysis completed in unit 4. McDonald's Value Chain Analysis.,This is the assignment from unit 4. Project Value Chain Analysis The main purpose of this assignment is to identify and analyze elements of the value chain and understand how they must interact to create value for the organization. The intent is to review the present, or relatively recent value chain of the company selected in the Unit 2 Value Chain Analysis Discussion. Use the Walters and Rainbird (2007) text and at least five additional relevant respected resources to support the value chain analysis. Use the APA formatted MS Word document template as the starting point for writing a 10- page paper (not including Title or References page). Please see the project directions below. Submit your completed Value Chain Analysis into the Unit 4 Dropbox. This is the assignment for unit 5. Value Chain Assessment Presentation The main purpose of this assignment is to assess a value chain for its effectiveness. The intent is to assess the outcome of the value chain analysis completed in unit 4. Assessing a value chain offers management the means to evaluate existing and new strategic opportunities. Completing an assessment of a value chain analysis provides insights into how opportunities might be pursued while identifying potential problems to be addressed. The point of the assessment is to identify optimal solutions, i.e., solutions acceptable to customers, suppliers, employees and investors. Because value is derived from customer needs, activities that do not contribute to meet these needs are considered non-value added waste. One requirement when assessing a value chain is considering the tasks and functions that occur to eliminate any non-value added waste. By streamlining the processes that generate the goods and services that customers value, fewer resources need to be expended and the margins between customer value and the cost of delivery increase thereby improving a firm?s profit margin. One of the requirements in this assignment is to identify non-value added waste in the value chain and recommend how to eliminate it from the value chain Another objective when assessing a value chain is to extend the competitive advantage of the value delivery system, not merely to meet levels of competitive necessity. By addressing specific value drivers, it becomes possible to target added value towards surpassing specific customer expectations. Using the outline below as your guide, prepare a 10-12 slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation; (not including Title slide, List of Contents slide, or References slides). Use the main slide area for the main points and the notes section for elaboration and application and citation of at least five relevant and respected supportive references. Not only is this presentation a graded Dropbox assignment, it will also be shared with the class as an attachment to your main discussion response in the Unit 6 Value Chain Assessment Discussion. Here is a possible outline to address the requirements of the Value Chain Assessment presentation: Slide 1: Title slide Slide 2: List of Presentation?s Contents Slide 3: Introduction (state the purpose of presentation) Slides 4 -5: Recap the Value Chain Analysis (from the Unit 4 paper) Slide 6: Recommend how to eliminate waste in the value chain Slide 7: Statement of your determination if the Value Chain is effective at this time Slides 8-10 ? Defend your determination of effectiveness of the value chain by including an assessment of the Value Chain?s components Slides 11-12 ? Recommendations and suggestions for improvement to a future Value Chain Slide 13: Summary slide ? Recap of the presentation Slide 14: References ? using APA, list all references applied and cited in the notes section of the presentation. Submit your completed value chain assessment into the Unit 5 Dropbox. Attached is what I came up with so far.,I have attached the entire assignment from unit 4 which includes the references.,Value Chain Assessment Presentation The main purpose of this assignment is to assess a value chain for its effectiveness. The intent is to assess the outcome of the value chain analysis completed in unit 4. Assessing a value chain offers management the means to evaluate existing and new strategic opportunities. Completing an assessment of a value chain analysis provides insights into how opportunities might be pursued while identifying potential problems to be addressed. The point of the assessment is to identify optimal solutions, i.e., solutions acceptable to customers, suppliers, employees and investors. Because value is derived from customer needs, activities that do not contribute to meet these needs are considered non-value added waste. One requirement when assessing a value chain is considering the tasks and functions that occur to eliminate any non-value added waste. By streamlining the processes that generate the goods and services that customers value, fewer resources need to be expended and the margins between customer value and the cost of delivery increase thereby improving a firm?s profit margin. One of the requirements in this assignment is to identify non-value added waste in the value chain and recommend how to eliminate it from the value chain Another objective when assessing a value chain is to extend the competitive advantage of the value delivery system, not merely to meet levels of competitive necessity. By addressing specific value drivers, it becomes possible to target added value towards surpassing specific customer expectations. Using the outline below as your guide, prepare a 10-12 slide Microsoft PowerPoint presentation; (not including Title slide, List of Contents slide, or References slides). Use the main slide area for the main points and the notes section for elaboration and application and citation of at least five relevant and respected supportive references. Not only is this presentation a graded Dropbox assignment, it will also be shared with the class as an attachment to your main discussion response in the Unit 6 Value Chain Assessment Discussion. Here is a possible outline to address the requirements of the Value Chain Assessment presentation: Slide 1: Title slide Slide 2: List of Presentation?s Contents Slide 3: Introduction (state the purpose of presentation) Slides 4 -5: Recap the Value Chain Analysis (from the Unit 4 paper) Slide 6: Recommend how to eliminate waste in the value chain Slide 7: Statement of your determination if the Value Chain is effective at this time Slides 8-10 ? Defend your determination of effectiveness of the value chain by including an assessment of the Value Chain?s components Slides 11-12 ? Recommendations and suggestions for improvement to a future Value Chain Slide 13: Summary slide ? Recap of the presentation Slide 14: References ? using APA, list all references applied and cited in the notes section of the presentation. Submit your completed value chain assessment into the Unit 5 Dropbox.,I need the assignment for unit 5 not unit 4.... Thanks
Question 5
Kwikeze Company set the following standard costs for one unit of its product. Direct materials ((3.0 Ibs. @ $5.0 per Ib.) $ 15.00 Direct labor (1.7 hrs. @ $11.0 per hr.) 18.70 Overhead (1.7 hrs. @ $18.50 per hr.) 31.45 Total standard cost $ 65.15 The predetermined overhead rate ($18.50 per direct labor hour) is based on an expected volume of 75% of the factory?s capacity of 20,000 units per month. Following are the company?s budgeted overhead costs per month at the 75% level. Overhead Budget (75% Capacity) Variable overhead costs Indirect materials $ 15,000 Indirect labor 75,000 Power 15,000 Repairs and maintenance 30,000 Total variable overhead costs $ 135,000 Fixed overhead costs Depreciation?building 23,000 Depreciation?machinery 74,000 Taxes and insurance 20,000 Supervision 219,750 Total fixed overhead costs 336,750 Total overhead costs $ 471,750 The company incurred the following actual costs when it operated at 75% of capacity in October. Direct materials (46,500 Ibs. @ $5.10 per lb.) $ 237,150 Direct labor (32,000 hrs. @ $11.20 per hr.) 358,400 Overhead costs Indirect materials $ 45,250 Indirect labor 176,000 Power 17,250 Repairs and maintenance 34,500 Depreciation?building 23,000 Depreciation?machinery 99,900 Taxes and insurance 18,000 Supervision 219,750 633,650 Total costs $ 1,229,200 16. Required: 1(a) Examine the monthly overhead budget to determine the costs per unit for each variable overhead item and its total per unit costs. (Round your answers to 2 decimal places. Omit the "$" sign in your response.) Variable or Fixed Classification Amount Variable costs (per unit)* Indirect materials $ Indirect labor Power Repairs and maintenance Total variable costs $ 1(b) Examine the monthly overhead budget to identify the total fixed costs per month. (Omit the "$" sign in your response.) Total fixed costs $ 17. 2. Prepare flexible overhead budgets for October showing the amounts of each variable and fixed cost at the 65%, 75%, and 85% capacity levels. (Round your variable amount per unit answers to 2 decimal places. Omit the "$" sign in your response.) KWIKEZE COMPANY Flexible Overhead Budgets For Month Ended October 31 Flexible Budget Variable Total Flexible Budget Flexible Budget Flexible Budget Amount Fixed for Unit Sales for Unit Sales for Unit Sales per Unit Cost of 13,000 of 15,000 of 17,000 Variable overhead costs $ $ $ $ Total variable costs $ Fixed overhead costs $ Total fixed costs $ Total overhead costs $ $ $ 18. 3. Compute the direct materials cost variance, including its price and quantity variances.(Indicate the effect of each variance by selecting "F" for favorable, "U" for unfavorable, and "None" for no effect (i.e., zero variance). Input all amounts as positive values. Leave no cells blank - be certain to enter "0" wherever required. Omit the "$" sign in your response.) Direct materials cost variance $ Price variance $ Quantity variance $ 19. 4. Compute the direct labor cost variance, including its rate and efficiency variances.(Indicate the effect of each variance by selecting "F" for favorable, "U" for unfavorable, and "None" for no effect (i.e., zero variance). Input all amounts as positive values. Leave no cells blank - be certain to enter "0" wherever required. Omit the "$" sign in your response.) Direct labor cost variance $ Rate variance $ Efficiency variance $ 20. 5. Prepare a detailed overhead variance report that shows the variances for individual items of overhead. (Leave no cells blank - be certain to enter "0" wherever required. Indicate the effect of each variance by selecting "F" for favorable, "U" for unfavorable, and "None" for no effect (i.e., zero variance). Input all amounts as positive values. Omit the "$" & "%" signs in your response.) KWIKEZE COMPANY Overhead Variance Report For Month Ended October 31 Volume Variance Expected production level % of capacity Production level achieved % of capacity Volume variance Controllable Variance Flexible Budget Actual Results Variances Variable overhead costs $ $ $ Total variable costs Fixed overhead costs Total fixed costs Total overhead costs $ $ $ *Look at the .Docx file
