Answer the following questions, using no more than three pages of text (single-spaced), not including tables and graphs, if any. Each group should present its own work and not rely on the work of any other group or any previous analyses of the Ceres Gardening Company case. Write the names of all group members at the top of your submission and submit through VeriGuide. The goal of this exercise is to evaluate the effectiveness of the GetCeres" program, a sales and marketing initiative devised by the VP of Marketing and the CEO of the Ceres Gardening Company. To facilitate calculations, a spreadsheet of the Ceres Gardening Company Exhibit 2 (Consolidated Balance Sheet) and Exhibit 3 (Consolidated Income Statement) is posted on the course website. 1. How does the GetCeres" program encourage dealers to purchase more products from Ceres? 2. Evaluate the performance of the company for 2003 through 2006E using the information in the Income Statement and Balance Sheet. Specifically, calculate the sales growth, gross margin, ROA and ROE for 2003 through 2006E. What do these metrics suggest about the performance of the company? How does the sales growth compare with the industry sales growth? 3. Construct the Cash Flow Statements for 2003 through 2006E using the indirect method. What is the overall change in cash each year? What is the cash flow from operations for each year? What do these amounts suggest about the performance of the company? 4. Forecast Ceres' sales for 2007 and 2008. For 2007 and beyond, assume dealers' sales of Ceres products will grow at 15% per year. In addition, assume that dealers will revert to their traditional ending inventory levels equal to a half-year's cost of goods sold. You should assume that dealers' inventories at the end of each year can be retained for sale in the next purchase. year (assuming proper care) and that dealers will eventually pay Ceres for the products they 5. Using the assumptions listed below, and your forecasted sales from question 4 above, prepare the projected Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement (using the indirect method) for 2007 and 2008 (If necessary, please state and explain any other assumptions you make). a. Future cost of goods sold will be 84% of sales revenue. b. Other operating expenses (SG&A. R&D and depreciation) will remain fixed at their 2006 levels. C. Interest expense will depend on the average debt balance over the year. d. Ceres' tax rate is 35%. If the company reports a loss following years of profits, it will obtain a refund equal to 35% of the loss. All taxes are settled before the end of the year. e. Ending accounts receivable equal 25% of annual sales. Ending inventory equals 13% of annual cost of goods sold. Ending accounts payable equal 150% of ending inventory. h. Ceres will make no further investments in noncurrent assets. i. Ceres will do no more borrowing and will pay off its debt at the rate of $649,000 per year. Dividends to shareholders will be $300,000 per year. 6. How would you evaluate the GetCeres program? Should it be expanded