CHAPTER 29

Financial Analysis and Planning

 

 

Answers to Practice Questions

 

1.                  Internet exercise; answers will vary.

 

 

2.                  Internet exercise; answers will vary.

 

 

3.                  Internet exercise; answers will vary.

 

 

4.         a.         The following are examples of items that may not be shown on the company’s books: intangible assets, off-balance sheet debt, pension assets and liabilities (if the pension plan has a surplus), derivatives positions.

 

b.                  The value of intangible assets generally does not show up on the company’s balance sheet.  This affects accounting rates of return because book assets are too low.  It can also make debt ratios seem high, again because assets are undervalued.  Research and development expenditures are generally recorded as expenses rather than assets, thereby understating income and understating assets.  Patents and trademarks, which can be extremely valuable assets, are not recorded as assets unless they are acquired from another company.

 

c.                  Inventory profits can increase.  Depreciation is understated, as are asset values.  Equity income is depressed because the inflation premium in interest payments is not offset by a reduction in the real value of debt.

 

 

5.                  Individual exercise; answers will vary.

 

 

6.                  The answer, as in all questions pertaining to financial ratios, is, “It depends on what you want to use the measure for.”  For most purposes, a financial manager is concerned with the market value of the assets supporting the debt, but, since intangible assets may be worthless in the event of financial distress, the use of book values may be an acceptable proxy.  You may need to look at the market value of debt, e.g., when calculating the weighted average cost of capital.  However, if you are concerned with, say, probability of default, you are interested in what a firm has promised to pay, not necessarily in what investors think that promise is worth.

Looking at the face value of debt may be misleading when comparing firms with debt having different maturities.  After all, a certain payment of $1,000 ten years from now is worth less than a certain payment of $1,000 next year.  Therefore, if the information is available, it may be helpful to discount face value at the risk-free rate, i.e., calculate the present value of the exercise price on the option to default.  (Merton refers to this measure as the quasi-debt ratio.)

 

You should not exclude items just because they are off-balance-sheet, but you need to recognize that there may be other offsetting off-balance-sheet items, e.g., the pension fund.

 

How you treat preferred stock depends upon what you are trying to measure.  Preferred stock is largely a fixed charge that accentuates the risk of the common stock.  On the other hand, as far as lenders are concerned, preferred stock is a junior claim on firm assets.

 

Deferred tax reserves arise because companies typically use accelerated depreciation for tax calculations while they use straight-line depreciation for financial reporting.  In the event that the company’s investment slows down or ceases, this tax would become payable, but, for most companies, deferred tax reserves are a permanent feature.

 

Minority interests arise because the company consolidates all the assets of its subsidiaries even though some subsidiaries may be less than 100% owned.  Minority interests reflect the portion of the equity of these subsidiaries that is not owned by the company’s shareholders.  For most purposes, it makes sense to exclude deferred tax and minority interests from measures of leverage.

 

 

7.                  a.         Liquidity ratios:

 

 

1.                        Net working capital to total assets =

 

 

 

 


                        2.

 

 


                        3.

 

 


                        4.

 

 


                        5.

 

b.                  Leverage ratios:

 

1.                  The Debt Ratio and the Debt-Equity Ratio would be unchanged at 0.45 and 0.83, respectively.  These calculations involve only long-term debt, leases and equity, none of which is affected by a short-term loan that increases cash.  However, the Debt Ratio (including short-term debt) changes from 0.50 to 0.61, as shown below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


2.                  Times interest earned would decrease because approximately the same amount would be added to the numerator (interest earned on the marketable securities) and the denominator (interest expense associated with the short-term loan).

 

 

8.                  The effect on the current ratio of the following transactions:

a.                  Inventory is sold Ž no effect

b.                  The firm takes out a bank loan to pay its suppliers Ž no effect

c.                  A customer pays its overdue bills Ž no effect

d.                  The firm uses cash to purchase additional inventories Ž no effect

 

 

9.                  After the merger, sales will be $100, assets will be $70, and profit will be $14.  The financial ratios for the firms are:

 

 

 

Federal Stores

 

Sara Togas

 

Merged Firm

Sales-to-Assets

 

2.00

 

1.00

 

1.43

Profit Margin

 

0.10

 

0.20

 

0.14

ROA

 

0.20

 

0.20

 

0.20

 

            Note that the calculation of profit is straightforward in one sense, but in another it is somewhat complicated.  Before the merger, Federal’s cost of goods includes the $20 it purchases from Sara, and Sara’s cost of goods sold is: ($20 - $4) = $16.  After the merger, therefore, the cost of goods sold will be: ($90 - $20 + $16) = $86.  With sales of $100, profit will be $14.

 

 

10.             The dividend per share is $2 and the dividend yield is 4%, so the stock price per share is $50.  A market-to-book ratio of 1.5 indicates that the book value per share is 2/3 of the market price, or $33.33.  The number of outstanding shares is 10 million, so that the book value of equity is $333.3 million.

 

 

11.             [Note:  In the first printing of the seventh edition, Times Interest Earned is incorrectly stated in this practice question; Times Interest Earned should be 11.2 rather than 8.]

 

Total liabilities + Equity = 115 Ž Total assets = 115

Total current liabilities = 30 + 25 = 55

Current ratio = 1.4 Ž Total current assets = 1.4 ´ 55 = 77

Cash ratio = 0.2 Ž Cash = 0.2 ´ 55 = 11

Quick ratio = 1.0 Ž Cash + Accounts receivable = current liabilities = 55 Ž

                                      Accounts receivable = 44

Total current assets = 77 = Cash + Accounts receivable + Inventory Ž

                                                Inventory = 22

Total assets = Total current assets + Fixed assets = 115 Ž Fixed assets = 38

Long-term debt + Equity = 115 – 55 = 60

Financial leverage = 0.4 = Long-term debt/(Long-term debt + Equity) Ž

                                           Long-term debt = 24

Equity = 60 – 24 = 36

Average inventory = (22 + 26)/2 = 24

Inventory turnover = 5.0 = (Cost of goods sold/Average inventory) Ž

                                      Cost of goods sold = 120

Average receivables = (34 + 44)/2 = 39

Receivables’ collection period = 71.2 = Average receivables/(Sales/365) Ž

                                                  Sales = 200

EBIT = 200 – 120 – 10 – 20 = 50

Times-interest-earned = 11.2 = (EBIT + Depreciation)/Interest Ž Interest = 6.27

Earnings before tax = 50 – 6.27 = 43.73

Average total assets = (105 + 115)/2 = 110

Return on total assets = 0.18 = (EBIT – Tax)/Average total assets Ž Tax = 30.2

Average equity = (30 + 36)/2 = 33

Return on equity = 0.41 = Earnings available for common stock/average equity Ž

               Earnings available for common stockholders = 13.53

 

The result is:

 

Fixed assets

 

$38

 

Sales

 

200.0

Cash

 

11

 

Cost of goods sold

 

120.0

Accounts receivable

 

44

 

Selling, general, and

 

 

Inventory

 

22

 

     Administrative

 

10.0

Total current assets

 

77

 

Depreciation

 

20.0

       TOTAL

 

$115

 

EBIT

 

50.0

 

Equity

 

$36

 

Interest

 

6.27

Long-term debt

 

24

 

Earnings before tax

 

43.73

Notes payable

 

30

 

Tax

 

30.20

Accounts payable

 

25

 

Available for common

 

13.53

Total current liabilities

 

55

 

 

 

 

       TOTAL

 

$115

 

 

 

 

 

 

12.             Two obvious choices are:

 

a.                  Total industry income over total industry market value:

 

Company

 

A

 

B

 

C

 

D

 

E

 

Total

Net income

 

10

 

0.5

 

6.67

 

-1.0

 

6.67

 

22.84

Market value

 

300

 

30

 

120

 

50.0

 

120

 

620

 

Price/earnings = 620/22.84 = 27.1

 

b.                  Average of the individual companies’ P/Es:

 

Company

 

A

 

B

 

C

 

D

 

E

EPS

 

3.33

 

.125

 

3.35

 

-.20

 

.67

Share price

 

100

 

5

 

50

 

8

 

10

P/E

 

30

 

40

 

15

 

-40

 

15

 

Average P/E = 12.0

 

            Clearly, the method of calculation has a substantial impact on the result.  The first method is generally preferable.  Here, the second method gives too much weight to Company D, which is a small company and has a negative P/E that is large in absolute value.

 

 

13.             Any of the following can temporarily depress or inflate accounting earnings:

a.                  Capitalizing or expensing investment in intangibles, e.g., Research and Development.

b.                  Straight-line versus accelerated depreciation.

c.                  LIFO versus FIFO for pricing inventory.

d.                  Standards for capitalizing leases.

e.                  Profits on work-in-process.

f.                    Bad debt provisions.

g.                  Profits and losses on foreign exchange.

h.                  Compensation in options rather than cash.

 

 

14.             Rapid inflation distorts virtually every item on a firm’s balance sheet and income statement.  For example, inflation affects the value of inventory (and, hence, cost of goods sold), the value of plant and equipment, the value of debt (both long-term and short-term); and so on.  Given these distortions, the relevance of the numbers recorded is greatly diminished.

 

The presence of debt introduces more distortions.  As mentioned above, the value of debt is affected, but so is the rate demanded by bondholders, who include the effects of inflation in their lending decisions.

 


 

15.             In 1986, the book value of each airplane was $0.2 million, while the market value was $20 million.  In other words, the depreciation charges used were too high, relative to economic depreciation.  Thus, the book value of assets has understated actual asset value, and reported earnings have understated actual earnings.  This has the following effects on the firm’s financial ratios:

 

§         Leverage ratios: Because assets were understated, equity has been understated, and leverage ratios have been overstated (i.e., a more realistic depreciation schedule would result in a lower debt ratio).

§         Liquidity ratios: Some would be unaffected (e.g., the cash ratio) while others were overstated.  For example, a more realistic depreciation schedule would result in a lower ratio of net working capital to total assets.

§         Profitability ratios: Some would be unaffected (e.g., sales to net working capital), some would decrease (e.g., sales to average total assets), and for some the effect is ambiguous.  More information is needed to determine the impact on return on total assets, for example.  Both the numerator and denominator would increase with a more realistic depreciation schedule.

§         Market value ratios: Some would be unaffected, as long as we make the assumption (common in finance) that capital markets can see through the obscurity imposed on the firm’s financial condition by accounting conventions (e.g., dividend yield).  Others would decrease by using a more realistic depreciation schedule (e.g., the P/E ratio).

 

16.             In general, more information facilitates comparisons between firms, so the short answer is yes.  However, one could also argue that the market certainly has already taken the value of these brand names into consideration, and any financial analysis that does not do so is poor indeed.  Then too, if one expects to use these numbers for meaningful comparisons, one must assume that the managers of RHM have correctly estimated their brand names’ value.

 

17.             All of the financial ratios are likely to be helpful, although to varying degrees.  Presumably those ratios that relate directly to the variability of earnings and the behavior of the stock price have the strongest associations with market risk; likely candidates include the debt-equity ratio and the P/E ratio.  Other accounting measures of risk might be devised by taking five-year averages of these ratios.

 

18.             Answers will vary depending on companies and industries chosen.

 

19.             Pro forma financial statements (balance sheets, income statements, and sources and uses of cash), a description of planned capital expenditures, and a summary of planned financing.

 

20.             Most financial models are designed to forecast accounting statements.  They do not focus on the factors that directly determine firm value, such as incremental cash flow or risk.

 

 

21.             Any discussion of this topic should include the following points:

a.                  Most models are accounting-based and do not recognize firm value maximization as the objective of the firm.  In other words, key concepts like incremental cash flow, net present value and market risk are ignored.

b.                  Often the “rules” embodied in the model are arbitrarily chosen, and the decisions they imply are not considered explicitly once the model has been constructed.

c.                  Models are expensive to build and maintain.

d.                  Models are often so complicated that it is difficult to use or to efficiently make changes to them.

 

22.             Ideally, the financial plan should provide unbiased forecasts.  Many times, however, the financial plan represents the goals of the firm, which exceed the true expectations.

 

23.             Bottom-up models may be excessively detailed and can prevent managers from seeing the forest for the trees.  However, if the firm has diverse operations or large, discrete investments, it may be essential to forecast separately for individual divisions or projects.  Thus, we would expect conglomerates or companies with individually large projects (e.g., Boeing) to use a bottom-up approach.

 

It is easier to express and implement corporate strategy with a top-down model.  We expect to find such models used for homogeneous businesses, especially where growth is rapid, markets are changing, and intangible assets are important.  Of course, the danger is that such models lose contact with plant-by-plant, product-by-product developments that are the activities that actually generate profits and growth.

 

It is generally easier to evaluate performance if the detail of a bottom-up model is available.


 

24.             The ability to meet or beat the targets embodied in a financial plan is obviously a reassuring signal of management talent and motivation.  Moreover, the financial plan focuses attention on the specific targets that top management deems most important.  There are, however, several dangers.

a.                  Financial plans are usually accounting-based, and thus, are subject to the biases inherent in book profitability measures.

b.                  Managers may sacrifice the firm’s best long-term interests in order to meet the plan’s short- or medium-run targets.

c.                  Manager A may make all the right decisions, but fail to meet the plan because of events beyond his control.  Manager B may make the wrong decisions, but be rescued by good luck.  In other words, it may be difficult to separate performance and ability from results.

 

 

25.             Obviously, problems multiply as the plan attempts to track more and more detail.  But keeping it up-to-date is not just a matter of mechanical updating.  Remember that a plan is the end result of a discussion and bargaining process involving virtually all top and middle management, at least to some degree.  A completed plan sets performance targets and governs operating and investment strategies.  Completed plans are, therefore, not scrapped in mid-stream unless a major new problem or opportunity emerges.  Similarly, it is a very time-consuming (and, hence, expensive) task to update financial plans.

 

 

26.             A financial model describes a series of relationships among financial variables.  Given these required relationships, it might not be possible to find a solution unless one variable is unconstrained.  This allows all stated relationships to be met by setting the unconstrained variable, called the “balancing item,” at the level required so that the Balance Sheet and the Sources and Uses Statement are reconciled.

 

If dividends were made the balancing item, then an equation relating borrowing to some other variable would be required.

 

 

27.             From Table 29.6, we see that, in 2000, total uses of funds equals 312.  Since total sources of funds equals 153.4, the firm requires 158.6 of external capital (assuming dividends of 59.0).  If no dividends are paid, the firm’s external financing required is: ($158.6 - $59.0) = $99.6

 

 


 

28.             In the following table, long-term debt is the balancing item:

Pro Forma Income Statement

      1999

      2000

      2000

 

 

   (+50%)

  (+10%)

Revenues

2200.0

3300.0

2420.0

Costs (90% of revenues)

1980.0

2970.0

2178.0

Depreciation (10% of fixed assets at

                        start of year)

 

53.3

 

55.0

 

55.0

EBIT

166.7

275.0

187.0

Interest (10% of long-term debt at

                        start of year)

 

42.5

 

45.0

 

45.0

Tax (40% of pretax profit)

49.7

92.0

56.8

Net Income

74.5

138.0

85.2

Operating cash flow

127.8

193.0

140.2

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Sources & Uses of Funds

      1999

      2000

   (+50%)

      2000

  (+10%)

Sources

 

 

 

 

Net Income

74.5

138.0

85.2

 

Depreciation

53.3

55.0

55.0

 

Operating cash flow

127.8

193.0

140.2

 

Issues of long-term debt

25.0

439.8

64.9

 

Issues of equity

0.0

0.0

0.0

 

Total sources

152.8

632.8

205.1

 

Uses

 

 

 

 

Investment in net working capital

38.5

220.0

44.0

 

Increase in fixed assets

71.0

330.0

110.0

 

Dividends

43.8

82.8

51.1

 

Total uses

152.8

632.8

205.1

 

External capital required

25.0

439.8

64.9

 

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

      1999

      2000

   (+50%)

      2000

   (+10%)

Net working capital (20% of revenues)

440.0

660.0

484.0

Net fixed assets (25% of revenues)

550.0

825.0

605.0

Total net assets

990.0

1485.0

1089.0

Long-term debt

450.0

889.8

514.9

 

Equity

540.0

595.2

574.1

 

Total long-term liabilities and equity

990.0

1485.0

1089.0

 

 

The borrowing requirement is much greater if revenues increase by 50% ($439.8) than it is if revenues increase by 10% ($64.9).

 


29.             a.

Pro Forma Income Statement

      1999

      2000

      2001

 

 

 

 

Revenues

2200.0

2860.0

3718.0

Costs (90% of revenues)

1980.0

2574.0

3346.2

Depreciation (10% of fixed assets at

                        start of year)

 

53.3

 

55.0

 

71.5

EBIT

166.7

231.0

300.3

Interest (10% of long-term debt at

                        start of year)

 

42.5

 

45.0

 

70.2

Tax (40% of pretax profit)

49.7

74.4

92.0

Net Income

74.5

111.6

138.1

Operating cash flow

127.8

166.6

209.6

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Sources & Uses of Funds

      1999

   2000

  2001

Sources

 

 

 

 

Net Income

74.5

111.6

138.1

 

Depreciation

53.3

55.0

71.5

 

Operating cash flow

127.8

166.6

209.6

 

Issues of long-term debt

25.0

252.4

330.9

 

Issues of equity

0.0

0.0

0.00

 

Total sources

152.8

419.0

540.5

 

Uses

 

 

 

 

Investment in net working capital

38.5

132.0

171.6

 

Increase in fixed assets

71.0

220.0

286.0

 

Dividends

43.8

67.0

82.9

 

Total uses

152.8

419.0

540.5

 

External capital required

25.0

252.4

330.9

 

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

      1999

   2000

   2001

Net working capital (20% of revenues)

440.0

572.0

743.6

Net fixed assets (25% of revenues)

550.0

715.0

929.5

Total net assets

990.0

1287.0

1673.1

Long-term debt

450.0

702.4

1033.3

 

Equity

540.0

584.6

639.8

 

Total long-term liabilities and equity

990.0

1287.0

1673.1

 

 

b.                  For the year 2000, the firm’s debt ratio is: ($702.4/$1287.0) = 0.546 and the interest coverage ratio is: ($231 + $55)/$45 = 6.356

For the year 2001, the firm’s debt ratio is: ($1033.3/$1673.1) = 0.618 and the interest coverage ratio is: ($300.3 + $71.5)/$70.2 = 5.296

 

c.                  It would be difficult to financing continuing growth at this rate by borrowing alone.  The debt ratio is already very high.  If the firm continued to expand at a 30% rate, then by 2009 the debt ratio would reach 84%.

 

30.             a. & b.  [Note: the following solution is based on the assumption that working capital remains a constant proportion of fixed assets.  This assumption is not stated in the first printing of the seventh edition.]

 

Pro Forma Income Statement

      2001

      2002

Revenue

1785.0

2100.0

Fixed costs

53.0

53.0

Variable costs (80% of revenue)

1428.0

1680.0

Depreciation

80.0

100.0

EBIT

224.0

267.0

Interest ( at 11.8%)

24.0

28.3

Taxes (at 40%)

80.0

95.5

Net Income

120.0

143.2

Operating cash flow

200.0

243.2

 

 

 

Pro Forma Sources & Uses of Funds

      2001

   2002

Sources

 

 

 

Net Income

120.0

143.2

 

Depreciation

80.0

100.0

 

Operating cash flow

200.0

243.2

 

Issues of long-term debt

36.0

30.0

 

Issues of equity

104.0

72.3

 

Total sources

340.0

345.5

 

Uses

 

 

 

Investment in net working capital

60.0

50.0

 

Increase in fixed assets

200.0

200.0

 

Dividends

80.0

95.5

 

Total uses

340.0

345.5

 

External capital required

140.0

102.3

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

      2001

   2002

Net working capital

400.0

450.0

Net fixed assets

800.0

900.0

Total net assets

1200.0

1350.0

Long-term debt

240.0

270.0

 

Equity

960.0

1080.0

 

Total long-term liabilities and equity

1200.0

1350.0

 

 


 

31.             [Note: The references to the year 2007 that appear in the first printing of the seventh edition are incorrect; the relevant year is 2003.  Also in the first printing, Table 29.14 incorrectly states that Dividends are $80 and Retained earnings are $40.  These figures should be Dividends: $120 and Retained earnings: $0.]

 

a.

 Pro Forma Income Statement

      2002

      2003

Revenue

1800.0

2250.0

Fixed costs

56.0

56.0

Variable costs (80% of revenue)

1440.0

1800.0

Depreciation

80.0

80.0

EBIT

224.0

314.0

Interest ( 8% of beginning-of-year debt)

24.0

24.0

Taxes (at 40%)

80.0

116.0

Net Income

120.0

174.0

Operating cash flow

200.0

254.0

 

 

 

Pro Forma Sources & Uses of Funds

      2002

   2003

Sources

 

 

 

Net Income

120.0

174.0

 

Depreciation

80.0

80.0

 

Operating cash flow

200.0

254.0

 

Issues of long-term debt

0.0

75.0

 

Issues of equity

0.0

167.0

 

Total sources

200.0

496.0

 

Uses

 

 

 

Investment in net working capital

0.0

100.0

 

Increase in fixed assets

80.0

280.0

 

Dividends

120.0

116.0

 

Total uses

200.0

496.0

 

External capital required

0.0

242.0

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

      2002

   2003

Net working capital

400.0

500.0

Net fixed assets

800.0

1000.0

Total net assets

1200.0

1500.0

Long-term debt

300.0

375.0

 

Equity

900.0

1125.0

 

Total long-term liabilities and equity

1200.0

1500.0

 

 


b.

 

 Pro Forma Income Statement

      2002

      2003

Revenue

1800.0

2250.0

Fixed costs

56.0

56.0

Variable costs (80% of revenue)

1440.0

1800.0

Depreciation

80.0

80.0

EBIT

224.0

314.0

Interest ( 8% of beginning-of-year debt)

24.0

24.0

Taxes (at 40%)

80.0

116.0

Net Income

120.0

174.0

Operating cash flow

200.0

254.0

 

 

 

Pro Forma Sources & Uses of Funds

      2002

   2003

Sources

 

 

 

Net Income

120.0

174.0

 

Depreciation

80.0

80.0

 

Operating cash flow

200.0

254.0

 

Issues of long-term debt

0.0

242.0

 

Issues of equity

0.0

0.0

 

Total sources

200.0

496.0

 

Uses

 

 

 

Investment in net working capital

0.0

100.0

 

Increase in fixed assets

80.0

280.0

 

Dividends

120.0

116.0

 

Total uses

200.0

496.0

 

External capital required

0.0

242.0

 

 

 

 

Pro Forma Balance Sheet

      2002

   2003

Net working capital

400.0

500.0

Net fixed assets

800.0

1000.0

Total net assets

1200.0

1500.0

Long-term debt

300.0

542.0

 

Equity

900.0

958.0

 

Total long-term liabilities and equity

1200.0

1500.0

 

 

            The debt ratios are:

                        For 2002:  $300/$1200 = 0.250

                        For 2003:  $542/$1500 = 0.361

 


 

32.             a.         With a growth rate of 15%, total assets will increase to $3,450, implying required funding of $450.  With a growth rate of 15% and using a tax rate of (200/700) = 28.6%, Eagle’s Income Statement for 2003 will be:

 

Sales

 

$1,092.5

Costs

 

287.5

EBIT

 

805.0

Taxes

 

230.0

Net Income

 

$575.0

 

                        Dividends will be: (0.6 ´ $575) = $345

                        Retained earnings will be: (0.4 ´ $575) = $230

                        Thus, the needed external funds will be: ($450 - $230) = $220

 

            b.         Debt must be the balancing item, and will increase by $220 to a total value of $1,220.

 

            c.         With no new shares of stock, and debt increased by $100, the only other source of the additional $120 is retained earnings, which must increase to $350.  Dividends will, thus, be reduced to $225.

 

33.             a.         Internal growth rate = retained earnings/net assets

                        Internal growth rate = $230/$3000 = 0.077 = 7.7%

            b.        

                       

 

34.             a.

           

           

            b.         The need for external financing is equal to the increase in assets less the retained earnings:

 

                        (0.30 ´ 1,000,000) – (0.20 ´ 1,000,000 ´ 0.40 = $220,000

            c.         With no dividends, the plowback ratio becomes 1.0 and:

                       

d.                  Retained earnings will now be $200,000 and the need for external funds is reduced to $100,000.  Clearly, the more generous the dividend policy (i.e., the higher the payout ratio), the greater the need for external financing.

 


Challenge Questions

 

 

1.                  Because both current assets and current liabilities are, by definition, short-term accounts, ‘netting’ them out against each other and then calculating the ratio in terms of total capitalization is preferable when evaluating the safety of long-term debt.  Having done this, the bank loan would not be included in debt.

 

Whether or not the other accounts (i.e., deferred taxes, R&R reserve, and the unfunded pension liability) are included in the calculation would depend on the time horizon of interest.  All of these accounts represent long-term obligations of the firm.  If the goal is to evaluate the safety of Geomorph’s debt, the key question is: What is the maturity of this debt relative to the obligations represented by these accounts?  If the debt has a shorter maturity, then they should not be included because the debt is, in effect, a senior obligation.  If the debt has a longer maturity, then they should be included.  [It may be of interest to note here that some companies (e.g., Disney) have recently issued debt with a maturity of 100 years.)

 

 

2.                  Internet exercise; answers will vary.