Hudson Valley Realty Hudson Valley Realty owns a number of commercial properties in suburban towns north and east of New York City. The firm previously rented one of them to an upscale department store renowned for jewelry and fine china, but that also sold everything from chandeliers to bed linens to lawn furniture. The building became vacant two years ago when the tenant broke a ten-year lease after only three years of occupancy and unexpectedly filed for bankruptcy. Hudson Valley considered any effort to recover early termination penalties a waste of time and money. Interest expense, high real estate taxes, insurance, and security costs make it extremely expensive to hold vacant property in this area. Although Hudson Valley is obviously eager to find a new tenant, it does not want another unexpected vacancy to have a serious negative effect on its investment returns. Hudson Valley wants to be sure that the new tenant will be financially stable and will likely stay for at least the full term of the lease. Vermont Heritage, a well-known furniture chain that targets affluent customers with traditional tastes, has expressed interest in the location. Peter Cortland, Hudson Valleys rental manager, wants to take a close look at the potential tenants financial statements before entering into more serious negotiations. Vermont Heritage has submitted the following audited income statements and balance sheets for the last three years. Vermont Heritage Income Statement ($ in millions) Account 20x3 20x2 20x1 Sales 949.0 955.1 907.3 Cost of Goods Sold 466.6 472.8 436.6 Gross Profit 482.4 482.3 470.7 Selling & Administrative 332.3 320.8 315.6 Depreciation 21.3 21.3 21.3 Other income (expenses) 1.4 -9.2 -11.9 Earnings Before Interest and Taxes 130.2 131.0 121.9 Interest Expense 0.8 0.6 0.6 Taxable Income 129.4 130.4 121.3 Taxes 49.2 50.1 45.9 Net Income 80.2 80.3 75.4 Dividends 24.1 20.1 18.9 Vermont Heritage Balance Sheet ($ in millions) Account 20x3 20x2 20x1 Current Assets Cash 57.4 61.6 81.9 Accounts Receivable 28.0 27.0 26.4 Inventory 187.1 186.9 198.2 Other Current Assets 56.5 54.2 53.8 Total Current Assets 329.0 329.7 360.3 Net Fixed Assets 275.2 277.0 289.4 Other Assets 88.8 81.7 81.8 Total Assets 693.0 688.4 731.5 Current Liabilities Accounts Payable 20.4 22.2 26.1 Short-term Notes 4.2 4.7 101.1 Other Current Liabilities 6.4 7.4 8.0 Total Current Liabilities 31.0 34.3 135.1 Long-term Debt 3.2 4.5 9.2 Other Long-term Liabilities 5.5 52.4 50.2 Total Liabilities 39.7 91.2 194.5 Owners Equity Common Stock 230.0 230.0 230.0 Retained Earnings 423.3 367.2 307.0 Total Owners Equity 653.3 597.2 537.0 Total Liabilities & Equity 693.0 688.4 731.5 Required: 2. Look at Vermont Heritages expense accounts, cost of goods sold, and selling and administrative expenses. Do they seem to be roughly proportional to sales? Do any of these categories seem to be growing out of control? 3. Depreciation expense is the same for all three years. What does that tell you about Vermont Heritages growth? 4. Look at Vermont Heritages earnings before interest and taxes, interest expense, and debt accounts over the three-year period. Comparing debt to equity, do you think the company seems to have excessive debt? Would you expect the company to have any problems meeting its interest payments? 5. Dividends have increased as a percentage of net income. Why do you think the company decided to pay out more of its earnings to shareholders? 6. Compare current assets with current liabilities. Would you expect Vermont Heritage to have any problems meeting its short-term obligations? 7. Overall, do you think Vermont Heritage will be a relatively safe tenant for Hudson Valleys building?