Questions for case: Off$-$Balance Sheet Financing at Big $5$ Sporting Good Corporation

$1.$  What is Big $5’$s business model? What are the key success factors in the company$’$s business? How will these be observable from the company$’$s financial performance?

$2.$  What is your assessment of Big $5’$s recent financial performance $($profitability$,$ asset management, leverage, liquidity$)$ How does it compare to Dick$’$s Sporting Goods, Inc? Is your assessment of Big $5’$s cash flow performance? How has it used cash flows generated from operations?

$3.$  Why might the Big $5$ sign a new credit agreement? Why didn$’$t the company issue public bonds? What restrictions does the new credit agreement impose on the company? Why would the Big $5$ agree to the restrictions?

$4.$  Why would Big $5$ lease some of its stores rather than buying them outright? What transactions did Big $5$ record regarding capital lease in $2010$

$5.$  Why does the Big $5$ have operating leases? Fully explain.