Question

Feather Friends, Inc., distributes a high-quality wooden birdhouse that sells for $40 per unit. Variable expenses are $20.00 per unit, and fixed expenses total $180,000 per year. Its operating results for last year were as follows:

Sales $ 1,040,000

Variable expenses 520,000

Contribution margin 520,000

Fixed expenses 180,000

Net operating income $ 340,000

Required: Answer each question independently based on the original data:

1. What is the product's CM ratio?

2. Use the CM ratio to determine the break-even point in dollar sales.

3. If this year's sales increase by $52,000 and fixed expenses do not change, how much will net operating income increase?

4-a. What is the degree of operating leverage based on last year's sales?

4-b. Assume the president expects this year's sales to increase by 15%. Using the degree of operating leverage from last year, what percentage increase in net operating income will the company realize this year?

5. The sales manager is convinced that a 12% reduction in the selling price, combined with a $67,000 increase in advertising, would increase this year's unit sales by 25%. a. If the sales manager is right, what would be this year's net operating income if his ideas are implemented? b. Do you recommend implementing the sales manager's suggestions?

6. The president does not want to change the selling price. Instead, he wants to increase the sales commission by $1.60 per unit. He thinks that this move, combined with some increase in advertising, would increase this year's sales by 25%. How much could the president increase this year's advertising expense and still earn the same $340,000 net operating income as last year?

Answer 1

1)	CM ratio
	contribution margin/sales
	520,000/1,040,000
	0.5
	50%
2)	Break even sales in dollars
	fixed cost/contribution margin ratio
	180,000/50%
	360000
3)	Net operating income will increase by
	52,000*50%
	26000
4-a)	Degree of operating leverage
	contribution margin/net income
	520,000/340,000
	1.529412
	or 1.53
4b)	percentage increase in net income
	15*1.529412
	22.94118
	or 22.94%
5)-a)	unit sale = 1,040,000/40
		26,000
	now unit sales =26000*125%
		32500
	selling price new = 40*88%=$35.20
	sales	(32,500*35.20)			1144000
	Variable expense (32,500*20)				650000
	Contribution margin				494000
	fixed expense (180,000+67000)				247000
	Net operating income				247000
b)	Yes
				per unit
6)	sales			40
	Variable expense			21.6
	Contribution margin			18.4
	increase in sales 25%
	(32,500*18.4) - (180,000+x) = 340,000
	598000 - 180,000-x =340,000
	x                                 =		78,000	asnwer