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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

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.

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:

1. Look at Vermont Heritages sales revenue, earnings before interest and taxes, and net income over the three-year period. Would you classify it as a growing diminishing, or stable company?

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?

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