Five years ago, a company was considering the purchase of 77
new diesel trucks that were 15.45% more fuel-efficient than the
ones the firm is now using. The company uses an average of 10
million gallons of diesel fuel per year at a price of $1.25 per
gallon. If the company manages to save on fuel costs, it will save
$1.875 million per year (1.5 million gallons at $1.25 per gallon).
On this basis, fuel efficiency would save more money as the price
of diesel fuel rises (at $1.35 per gallon, the firm would save
$2.025 million in total if he buys the new trucks).
Consider two possible forecasts, each of which has an equal
chance of being realized. Under assumption #1, diesel prices will
stay relatively low; under assumption #2, diesel prices will rise
considerably. The 77 new trucks will cost the firm $5 million.
Depreciation will be 25.2% in year 1, 38.48% in year 2, and 36.34%
in year 3. The firm is in a 40% income tax bracket and uses a 10%
cost of capital for cash flow valuation purposes. Interest on debt
is ignored. In addition, consider the following forecasts:
Forecast for assumption #1 (low fuel prices):
Price of Diesel Fuel per Gallon
Prob. (same for each year)
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
0.1
$0.79
$0.92
$1.01
0.2
$0.99
$1.13
$1.12
0.3
$1.12
$1.2
$1.3
0.2
$1.31
$1.44
$1.44
0.2
$1.4
$1.57
$1.6
Forecast for assumption #2 (high fuel prices):
Price of Diesel Fuel per Gallon
Prob. (same for each year)
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
0.1
$1.22
$1.51
$1.7
0.3
$1.3
$1.71
$2.02
0.4
$1.82
$2.33
$2.49
0.2
$2.21
$2.5
$2.79
Required: Calculate the percentage change on the basis that an
increase would take place from the NPV under assumption #1 to the
probability-weighted (expected) NPV.
Answer
% Do not round intermediate calculations. Input your answer as
a percent rounded to 2 decimal places (for example: 28.31%).
Note: The educational purpose of this problem targets the
students’ ability to read + follow instructions.
Further Information (solution steps):
Step (1): Calculate the annual expected price of diesel per
gallon under each assumption, based on the probabilities outlined
in the inputs section.
Step (2): Using the annual expected fuel prices calculated in
step (1), determine the increase in annual savings created by the
proposed efficiency for each assumption.
Step (3): Find the increased cash flow after taxes (CFAT) for
both forecasts, based on the annual increase in fuel savings
determined in step (2) as the increase in earnings before
depreciation and taxes (EBDT), and the starting point from which
profit is calculated for each assumption. As part of this step, you
must establish annual depreciation (remember: depreciation is a
noncash charge).
Step (4): Considering the increased annual CFAT produced in
step (3), calculate the NPV of the truck purchases for each
assumption, based on the discount rate (cost of capital) indicated
in the inputs section
Step (5): In view of the outcomes produced in step (4),
estimate the combined NPV weighed by the probability of each
assumption.
Step (6): Finally, calculate the percentage difference
hypothesizing that an increase took place starting from the NPV for
assumption #1 to the combined NPV worked out in step (5).
Q1) you will notice as we proceed that the steps are truly
consecutive (none can be fulfilled before the step before is
complete). therefore, there is truly nothing about the question
that's difficult. it's a long question, not a difficult one.
NOTE #1: IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT YOU DO NOT ROUND
INTERMEDIATE CALCULATIONS BECAUSE THIS QUESTION IS DESCRIBED BY
SEVERAL STEPS … ROUNDING UPON ROUNDING CREATES OVER-ROUNDING AND
THEREBY A CONSIDERABLE DIFFERENCE BY THE TIME YOU REACH THE FINAL
STEP.
NOTE #2: 10M GALLONS ARE THE SAME ACROSS ALL EXAM SCRIPT
FORMS. SAVINGS % VARY.
NOTE #3: IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU DO NOT USE ZEROS AS
YOU MULTIPLY × 10 M GALLONS. IT WILL ONLY MAKE YOUR WORKINGS MORE
CONFUSING. IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG AT A LATER STAGE, IT WILL BE
MUCH EASIER FOR YOU TO IDENTIFY WHERE EXACTLY.
NOTE #4: AS CAN BE OBSERVED IN THE CALCULATIONS ABOVE, SAVINGS
ARE CONVERTED FROM % TERMS TO $ TERMS. EACH OF THESE $ ANNUAL
SAINGS IS A DIFFERENTIAL (ANNUAL) VALUE IN AN OF ITSELF, DESCRIBED
BY A POSITIVE SIGN. AFTER ALL, SAVINGS ARE INFLOWS.
NOTE #5: INTEREST EXPENSE IS IGNORED ACROSS ALL EXAM SCRIPT
FORMS.
NOTE #6: THE $5M COST IS THE SAME ACROSS ALL EXAM SCRIPT
FORMS. ANNUAL DEPRECIATION % VARIES.
NOTE #7: IMAGINE THAT BY NOW YOU ARE DEALING WITH ZEROS AFTER
MULTIPLYING × 10 M GALLONS EARLIER. NOW, YOU WOULD BE FURTHER
MULTIPLYONG × $5M COST…
NOTE #8: REMEMBER THAT WE ARE OUTLINING DIFFERENTIAL VALUES
HERE AS EXPLAINED IN NOTE #4, THAT’S WHY EACH AFTER-TAX CASH FLOW
(ATCF) IS OBSERVED AS AN INCREASE.
NOTE #9: ALSO RECALL FROM PROVISION (ii) ABOVE THAT $ ANNUAL
DEPRECIATION MUST BE ADDED BACK TO THE INCREASE IN NET INCOME
(HERE, ATCF) ON ACCOUNT THAT DEPRECIATION IS A NON-CASH EXPENSE
ITEM.
NOTE #10: IT IS QUITE LIKELY THAT THE NPV FOR THE LOW FUEL
PRICES SCENARIO IS GOING TO BE NEGATIVE (IN OTHER WORDS, OUTFLOWS
> INFLOWS). THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND FOR THE
UPCOMING STEP.
NOTE #11: EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE FREE TO USE THE APPENDIX, QUITE
CLEARLY, APPENDIX B IN THIS CASE, AS WE ARE DEALING WITH SINGLE
AMOUNTS. HOWEVER, IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT YOU USE THE FORMULA
ON ACCOUNT THAT YOU SHOULD NOT BE ROUNDING INTERMEDIATE
CALCULATIONS. BESIDES, WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT 3 YEARS
ONLY.
NOTE #12: BECAUSE EACH SCENARIO HOLDS A 50% CHANCE OF TAKING
PLACE, THE GEOMETRIC MEAN IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE = THE ARITHMETIC
MEAN, SUCH THAT BOTH NET PRESENT VALUES CAN BE ADDED, THEN ÷
2.