Problem Set on Working Capital Management

1. Dorthy Koehl recently leased space in the Southside Mall and opened a new business, Koehl?s Doll Shop. Business has been good, but Koehl has frequently run out of cash. This has necessitated late payment on certain orders, which is beginning to cause a problem with suppliers. Koehl plans to borrow from the bank to have cash ready as needed, but first she needs a forecast of just how much she should borrow. Accordingly, she has asked you to prepare a cash budget for the critical period around Christmas, when needs will be especially high.

Sales are made on a cash basis only. Koehl?s purchases must be paid for during the following month. Koehl pays herself a salary of $4,800 per month, and the rent is $2,000 per month. In addition, she must make a tax payment of $12,000 in December. The current cash on hand (on December 1) is $400, but Koehl has agreed to maintain an average bank balance of $6,000 ? this is her target cash balance. (Disregard cash in the till, which is insignificant because Koehl keeps only a small amount on hand in order to lessen the chances of robbery.)

The estimated sales and purchases for December, January, and February are shown below. Purchases during November amounted to $140,000.

Sales Purchases

December $160,000 $40,000

January $40,000 $40,000

February $60,000 $40,000

a. Prepare a cash budget for December, January, and February.

b. Now suppose that Koehl starts selling on a credit basis on December 1, giving customers 30 days to pay. All customers accept these terms, and all other facts in the problem are unchanged. What would the company?s loan requirements be at the end of December in this case? (Hint: The calculations required to answer this question are minimal.)

2. Suppose a firm makes purchases of $3.65 million per year under terms of 2/10, net 30, and takes discounts.

a. What is the average amount of accounts payable net of discounts? (Assume the $3.65 million of purchases is net of discounts ? that is, gross purchases are $3,724,489.80, discounts are $74,489.80, and net purchases are $3.65 million.)

b. Is there a cost of the trade credit the firm uses?

c. If the firm did not take discounts but did pay on the due date, what would be its average payables and the cost of this non-free trade credit?

d. What would be the firm?s cost of not taking discounts if it could stretch its payments to 40 days.

Problem Set on Working Capital Management 1. Dorthy Koehl recently leased space in the Southside Mall and opened a new business, Koehl's Doll Shop. Business has been good, but Koehl has frequently run out of cash. This has necessitated late payment on certain orders, which is beginning to cause a problem with suppliers. Koehl plans to borrow from the bank to have cash ready as needed, but first she needs a forecast of just how much she should borrow. Accordingly, she has asked you to prepare a cash budget for the critical period around Christmas, when needs will be especially high. Sales are made on a cash basis only. Koehl's purchases must be paid for during the following month. Koehl pays herself a salary of $4,800 per month, and the rent is $2,000 per month. In addition, she must make a tax payment of $12,000 in December. The current cash on hand (on December 1) is $400, but Koehl has agreed to maintain an average bank balance of $6,000 - this is her target cash balance. (Disregard cash in the till, which is insignificant because Koehl keeps only a small amount on hand in order to lessen the chances of robbery.) The estimated sales and purchases for December, January, and February are shown below. Purchases during November amounted to $140,000. December January February Sales $160,000 $40,000 $60,000 Purchases $40,000 $40,000 $40,000 a. Prepare a cash budget for December, January, and February. b. Now suppose that Koehl starts selling on a credit basis on December 1, giving customers 30 days to pay. All customers accept these terms, and all other facts in the problem are unchanged. What would the company's loan requirements be at the end of December in this case? (Hint: The calculations required to answer this question are minimal.) 2. Suppose a firm makes purchases of $3.65 million per year under terms of 2/10, net 30, and takes discounts. a. What is the average amount of accounts payable net of discounts? (Assume the $3.65 million of purchases is net of discounts - that is, gross purchases are $3,724,489.80, discounts are $74,489.80, and net purchases are $3.65 million.) b. Is there a cost of the trade credit the firm uses? c. If the firm did not take discounts but did pay on the due date, what would be its average payables and the cost of this non-free trade credit? d. What would be the firm's cost of not taking discounts if it could stretch its payments to 40 days