Introduction:

You are the senior financial analyst for Fosbeck Generic Drug Co (Fosbeck). The firm manufactures and sells generic over-the-counter drugs in plants located throughout the country. You have been asked to generate some answers to questions emanating from the Board of Directors. These questions can be grouped into two broad categories - what projects to choose for the near future and how to finance these projects.

Deliverable:

Please present your recommendations in a report written for your supervisor, the firm Controller. Clearly show your analysis and communicate your conclusions and recommendations. Support your report by calculations in the Excel spreadsheets. In your report, explain the results of each portion of your analysis (represented by the tabs on the Excel template). Submit all the completed Excel worksheets with the completed responses to the questions posed to support your report and recommendation.

Steps to Completion:

Individual Project Analysis

Your first task is to analyze the company's three projects and provide your recommendations about their implementation.

Automation project

One of Fosbeck's plants is trying to decide whether to automate its drug manufacturing by purchasing a fully automated bioreactor machine complex.

The proposed machine costs $400 M and it will have a five year anticipated life and will be depreciated by using the 3-year MACRS depreciation method toward a zero salvage value. (MACRS depreciation rates are: Year 1: 33%, Year 2: 45%, Year 3: 15% and Year 4: 7%) However, the plant will be able to sell the machine in the after-market for 25% of its original costs at the end of year 5.The firm estimates that the installation of the bioreactor will bring annual costs savings of $50 M from reduced labor costs, $10 M per year from reduced waste disposal costs, and $80 M per year from the sales byproduct of bioreactor process net of selling expenses. Fosbeck requires a 12% of return from its investment and has a 38% marginal tax rate.

Decision Criteria - NPV and IRR

• Calculate the NPV and IRR for the project.
• The manager of the plant raised some concerns about the revenues from the byproduct sale. He projects that the price of the byproduct in year 1 could be 10% to 50% less than what was projected. However, the savings from reduced labor costs and reduced waste disposal costs would remain same. He presented the following probability distribution on the projected reclaimed plastic sales:

Remain same as projected40%

Decrease by 10%30%

Decrease by 30%20%

Decrease by 50%10%

Estimate the NPV and IRR for each of these scenarios. Estimate the expected NPV.

Break-even Analysis

• At what volume of byproduct sales would Fosbeck have a break-even NPV=0?

Fosbuvir Project

The company considers development of a new drug to treat Hepatitis C, code-named the Fosbuvir Project. Fosbeck has already spent $420 M on preliminary research for drug development and it will need another $600 M on development this year (tax deductible) and $2 B in CapEx next year (these cash outlays are not part of the cash flows that you have estimated earlier, because this project is not approved yet). Capital expenditures will be depreciated over 10 years using straight line depreciation.

The patent for the drug is pending and the company expects to receive an FDA approval and start selling the drug in two years. Its expected revenues in the first year of sales are $1 B with subsequent annual growth of 50% over the next three years, after which the sales will be stable for another 7 years. After that the drug will lose the patent protection and its manufacturing is expected to stop. The CoGS are estimated to be 20% of revenues and SG&A expenses are $2 B a year if the drug is produced and zero otherwise.

NPV and IRR

• Please estimate the NPV and IRR of the Fosbuvir Project, using the company's WACC of 12%.