Project Evaluation Assignment

Question 1

Solus, an Australian manufacturer of Scientific Equipment, is considering expanding its Australian operation. It is considering an investment in new plant of $4.8 million. The project will be financed with a loan of $2,400,000 which will be repaid over the next five years in equal annual end of year instalments at a rate of 8.60% percent pa. Assume diminishing value depreciation over a five-year life, and no taxes. The project's cash flows before loan repayments and interest are shown in the table below. Cost of capital is 13.80% pa (the required rate of return on the project). A salvage value of $325,000 is expected at the end of year five and is included in the cash flows for year five below. Ignore taxes and inflation.

You are required to calculate:

(1) The amount of the annual loan repayment and produce a repayment schedule.
(2) NPV of the project (to the nearest dollar)
(3) IRR of the project (as a percentage to two decimal places)
(4) PB, the payback in years (to one decimal place)
(5) ARR, the accounting rate of return (to two decimal places)
(6) PI (present value index or profitability index) (to two decimal places)
(7) Is the project acceptable? You must provide a decision or explanation for each of the methods in parts (2) to (6). Why or why not (provide a full explanation)? Also a brief explanation of your treatment of Salvage Value and Loan Repayments is required. (600 words).

Question 2

Multimakks Limited Steel Division is considering a proposal to purchase a new machine to manufacture a new product for a potential three-year contract. The new machine will cost $12.8 million. The machine has an estimated life of four years for accounting and taxation purposes. The contract will not continue beyond four years. An investment allowance of twenty percent on the outlay is available. Extra marketing and administration cash outflows of $251,000 per year will be incurred by the Steel Division for the project. The projections provided here are based on the feasibility study undertaken by HXBC bank. Cash operating expenses are estimated to be 68 percent of sales revenue (excludes marketing and administration, and head office items). Except for initial outlays, assume cash flows occur at the end of each year (unless otherwise stated).

Additional Information

a. The sales price per unit of product is $158.

b. Estimated Sales volume of the product is 102,000 units for Year 1. In years 2, 3 and 4 the total sales revenue will increase in line with economic growth.

c. The nominal economic growth rate is projected to be 4% per year.

d. The project will be in operation for 4 years; then it will terminate. In the final year of the project the machinery will be sold for 7.5% of its initial, total value.

e. Last year, Multimakks Ltd. paid HZPC Bank $500, 000 for a feasibility study that confirmed the manufacturing expansion was economically viable.

f. The machinery is considered depreciable for tax purposes and will be depreciated using a diminishing value method (This is equal to twice the annual straight-line rate).

g. The project will require a provision of $370,000 in working capital.

h. There will be additional Sales and Marketing expenses if the project goes ahead. This has been estimated to be $251,000 for Year 1. After this, the additional annual Sales and Marketing expenses will increase with inflation.

i. Head Office expenses will not increase. However, a fixed allocation of $230,000 per year will be charged to this project.

j. Cash operating expenseswill be 68% of Sales Revenue.

k. The investmentproject is considered not to be in line with the company's core business and is of a higher risk.

• HZBC calculated the real required rate of return on a higher risk project such as this to be 10.65% (after tax).

l. Inflation is projected to be 2.0% per year for the period of the investment.

m. The company tax rate is 27% and tax is paid in the year after the income is earned.

n. Assume all cash flows are in Nominal values, unless otherwise stated.

You are required to:

(1) Construct a table showing your calculations of net cash flow after tax (NCFAT). Use the method shown in lectures and notes.

(2) Calculate the NPV. Is the project acceptable? Why or why not?

(3) Conduct a sensitivity analysis showing how sensitive the project is to operating expenses and to the cost of capital. Explain.

(4) Describe and explain the types of ‘managerial options' that may be relevant to Multimakks Limited in the context of this project.