Question
Fun Time Company (FTC), a subsidiary of New Age Industries, manufactures go-carts, water skis and motorised scooters. With the increasing popularity of electronic arcade games,
Fun Time Company (FTC), a subsidiary of New Age Industries, manufactures go-carts, water skis and motorised scooters. With the increasing popularity of electronic arcade games, New Age has been encouraging FTC to diversify into some of these other recreational areas. Arcade Unlimited Ltd (AUL) is a large manufacturer of arcade games and it is looking for a friendly buyer. New Ages top management believes that AULs assets could be acquired for an investment of only $9.6 million and has strongly urged Will Kelly, the divisional manager of FTC, to consider acquiring AUL. Kelly has reviewed the financial statements of AUL and he believes that the acquisition may not be in the best interests of FTC. However, he knows that if he does not acquire AUL, New Ages management is not going to be pleased! Kelly exclaims to his divisional management team: If only we could convince them to base our bonuses on something other than ROI, this acquisition would look more attractive. If only our bonuses were based on residual income, using the companys weighted average cost of capital of 15 per cent.
New Age has always evaluated the divisions on the basis of ROI, and the target ROI for each division is 20 per cent. The management team of any division that reports an annual increase in its ROI is given a bonus, but the managers of divisions where the ROI declines must provide a very convincing explanation as to why they should get a bonus. Where ROI has declined, the bonus is limited to only 50 per cent of the bonus that is paid to the divisions that report an increase in ROI.
The following data relate to the most recent financial year:
AUL | FTC | |
Sales revenue | $9 300 000 | $28 500 000 |
Less | ||
Variable expenses | 3 900 000 | 18 000 000 |
Fixed expenses | 3 600 000 | 4 500 000 |
Operating profit | $1 800 000 | $ 6 000 000 |
Current assets | $5 700 000 | $ 6 900 000 |
Long-term assets | 3 300 000 | 17 100 000 |
Total assets | $9 000 000 | $ 24 000 000 |
Current liabilities | $2 550 000 | $ 4 200 000 |
Long-term liability | 3 600 000 | 11 400 000 |
Shareholders equity | 2 850 000 | 8 400 000 |
Total liabilities and equity | $9 000 000 | $24 000 000 |
Required
- Explain why FTC may be reluctant to acquire AUL. Provide calculations.
- If New Age were to use residual income to measure divisional performance and evaluate managers, would FTC be more motivated to acquire AUL? Provide calculations.
- Comment on the current bonus scheme and outline two other schemes that New Age could use to deliver bonuses to divisional managers.
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