Question: Cousin's Salted Snack Company is considering two possible investments: a delivery truck or a bagging machine. The delivery truck would cost $39,346.56 and could be used to deliver an additional 40,000 bags of pretzels per year. Each bag of pretzels can be sold for a contribution margin of $0.38. The delivery truck operating expenses, excluding depreciation, are $0.52 per mile for 14,000 miles per year. The bagging machine would replace an old bagging machine, and its net investment cost would be $33,652.50. The new machine would require three fewer hours of direct labor per day. Direct labor is $10 per hour. There are 250 operating days in the year. Both the truck and the bagging machine are estimated to have eight-year lives. The minimum rate of return is 14%. However, Cousin's has funds to invest in only one of the projects.

a. Compute the internal rate of return for each investment. Use the above table of present value of an annuity of $1. If required, round your present value factor answers to three decimal places and internal rate of return to the nearest percent.

b. The bagging machine rate of return was SelectgreaterlessItem 5 than the minimum rate of return requirement of 14% while the delivery truck rate of return was SelectgreaterlessItem 6 than the minimum rate of return requirement of 14%. Therefore the recommendation is to invest in the Selectbagging machinedelivery truckItem 7.