Each of the following is an advantage of an exit via IPO except:

a. an increase in the venture's public awareness

b. a relatively rapid path toward founder exit

c. a large financial windfall for founders and investors

d. a large influx of cash for company growth

Using the data in the Excel file under the tab Problem1, develop a regression equation for a country’s lung cancer death rate based on cigarette consumption.

1. Is this a good regression model?  Why or why not?

2. If Cigarette Consumption was 725, what would you predict the Lung Cancer Death Rate to be?

3. Using your regression model, what is the Residual Value for Finland?

4. Do you think there are any outliers in the model?  If so, what would you do with them?

Case Study I

HAIER’s foray into International Markets :

In the late 1990s, the Haier group (Haier) was the leader in the Chinese consumer appliances market (with a 39.7%, 50% and 37.1% market share in refrigerators, air-conditioners and washing machines respectively in December 1998). But deflation in the Chinese economy slowed sales.

ut deflation in the Chinese economy slowed sales growth from 50% in 1998 to around 30% in 1999. Haier decided to look for new markets. Since the US had a large demand for consumer appliances, Haier entered the US market in 1999. Analysts were doubtful about Haier's acceptability to American consumers, as there was a general perception in the US that Chinese goods were of low quality. Haier, however, was confident that with its product differentiation strategy it would be able to create a positive image for its products among the American public. In the early 2000s, the consumer appliances market in the US started hotting up as Haier entered the market. By 2009, Haier products were sold in 9 of the 10 top retail chains in the US.

With Wal-Mart agreeing to stock Haier products, many analysts believed that Haier would be able to shake up the US consumer appliances market. In 2009, Haier had a 6% market share in the US refrigerator market; it stated that it was aiming for a 15% market share by 2015.

The history of Haier dates back to 1984 when Ruimin Zhang (Zhang), a bureaucrat with the local government was asked to take charge of Qingdao General Refrigerator Factory, a state-owned enterprise that is manufacturing refrigerators for sale in China. When Zhang took over the management, the company was on the brink of bankruptcy, with no funds to pay the salaries of its employees or to invest in new product development. When Zhang took charge of the company, he realized that the company did not look after the quality of its products; nor did it bother about customer satisfaction. In 1985, Zhang started importing technology from a German firm and began manufacturing technically sophisticated refrigerators.

Zhang emphasized the elements of customer satisfaction and quality control in the company. In 1985, when a customer complained about the poor performance of his refrigerator, Zhang conducted a quality check and found that out of 400 refrigerators inspected, 76 were defective.

He had all the defective refrigerators destroyed with a sledge-hammer. According to Zhang, this made the workers realize that quality is of only two types - acceptable and unacceptable. In 1989, the company changed its name to Qindao Refrigerator Co. Ltd., and it was restructured with funds raised from banks and government agencies. In 1991, the company once again changed its name to Qindao Haier Group Co. and in the same year it merged with Qingdao Air-conditioner Plant and Qingdao Freezer General Plant. In 1992, the company set up Qingdao Freezing Equipment Co. In the same year, it merged with another previously state-owned enterprise Qingdao Condenser Factory, which manufactured refrigerator condensers.

In the same year it became the first company in China to get ISO 9001 certification, and the company's name was changed to the Haier Group. In 1993, Haier went in for an IPO of RMB 50 million and got listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE).

During the mid-1990s, Haier began to grow through mergers and acquisitions. In 1995, it merged with Red Star Electric Appliance Company (and five of its subsidiaries). This company manufactured washing machines. It also acquired Wuhan Elec-appliance Co., which manufactured freezers and air conditioners. Between 1995 and 1997, Haier acquired seven companies and started exporting its goods to foreign markets.

By 1997, Haier was the number one consumer appliances brand in China and the market leader in all its product segments, which included refrigerators, washing machines, microwave ovens and freezers and its revenues were reported at $1.15 billion (10 billion Yuan)...

Haier's Competitors in the US Market

USA was the world's largest and most competitive market for consumer appliances. The consumer appliances market can be segmented on the basis of products into kitchen appliances and home comfort products. Included in kitchen appliances are products such as dishwashers, disposers, compactors, food preservation appliances, refrigerators, freezers etc.

In the home comfort segment are included products such as room air-conditioners and dehumidifiers. The home appliances market in the US was dominated by American companies, namely GE Appliances (a subsidiary of General Electricals), Whirlpool and Maytag. The only strong foreign player in this market was Sweden's Electrolux. GE Appliances, Whirlpool, Maytag and Electrolux together accounted for around 98% of the 9 million standard refrigerators sales in the US every year. In the 1990s, many Asian players such as LG Electronics and Samsung entered the US market in a big way. The big four companies in the US market concentrated on the high- end market comprising full-size refrigerators and washing machines, since the margins in this segment were high...

Strategies in the US Market

Haier decided to compete with the US brands on the quality plank rather than on price. However, analysts felt that it would be very difficult for the company to win over American consumers who associated Chinese goods with low quality. To strengthen its presence in the US market, Haier adopted a localization strategy.

It opened a design center in the Los Angeles and employed US designers for designing its products for the US market. Haier also opened a marketing center in New York. The company focused on enhancing consumer awareness about the company and its products. Commenting on Haier's strategy, Zhang said, "We want consumers to feel that Haier is the one company that comes closest to satisfying their needs." For instance, none of the consumer appliances companies in the US offered a compact refrigerator to satisfy demand from college students who could not afford normal size refrigerators...

Going High-End

Most analysts felt that Haier would feel the real competition only when it entered the high-end market. In the compact refrigerator segment, Haier did not face much competition from established players in the US, who did not focus on the low margin segment.

However, the major US players were keeping track of Haier's activities. Commenting on the competition from Haier, GE Appliances Chief Executive, Jim Campbell said, "I take it very seriously. They may be producing only 200,000 refrigerators per year now, but that's going to get bigger."

On the negative side, some analysts felt that Haier lacked the brand image to make a dent in the high-end segment. They pointed out that in general US consumers were brand-conscious, and this was especially true in the case of high-end products. The lack of a positive brand image in this consumer segment would probably make it difficult for Haier to succeed in the high-end markets. Analysts felt that Haier had an additional weakness in its distribution and service centers...

Future Prospects

Despite a few reservations, analysts too were, by and large, upbeat about the company because of its strong performance in breaking into the American market in a short time.

Said Nicholas Heymann of Prudential Securities, "Over five years, it could become a force." With quality products and lower prices, it was felt that Haier would be able to garner a sizeable market share in the US. Haier's experience in the geographically vast and diversified Chinese market would serve it well in catering to the US market.

However, a major worry for Haier is how to fund its expansion plans. Increasing competition in the domestic markets is bringing Haier's finances under pressure.

Questions 2:

Is it possible for an organization like Haier to sustain its competition in brand conscious and quality conscious markets such as US and other countries?

Questions 3:

What are the countries that you would suggest Haier should concentrate upon? Why?

During its prior tax year, your client acquired from a third party a license granted by the federal government. The client tells you that he/she believes that the license has a useful life of 8 years and produces a report, prepared by another firm, supporting that useful life. You look at the report and do not believe that it is very convincing. Discuss how you would handle this situation keeping in mind any ethical and professional considerations. What are the penalty risks to your client and your own firm if you rely on this report?Be sure to back up your opinion with articles from the Keiser University library and Treasury Department Circular No. 230.

Question 5                                                                                                                                                         

On 3 June 2019 Canberra Ltd an Australian based company acquired goods on credit from a supplier in the USA. The goods are shipped free on board (FOB) from Chicago on 3 June 2019. The cost of the goods is USD 500,000 and the debt remains unpaid as at 30 June 2019.

On 3 June 2019, the exchange rate is A$1.00 = USD 0.75.

On 30 June 2019 the exchange rate is A$1.00 = USD 0.95.

Hence, the value of the Australian dollar has increased relative to the US Dollar. Canberra Ltd’s reporting date is 30 June.

Required

1. Provide the accounting entries necessary to account for the purchase   transaction, noted above, for the year ending 30 June 2019.                                                                                                                             
2. When initially recognising a transaction that is denominated in a foreign currency, what exchange rate should be used to translate the transaction to Australian Dollars?                                                           

Which of the following is true? An undervalued fixed rate currency encourages inflation in that country An overvalued currency is a sign of a trade surplus for that country An undervalued currency is a sign of an excess supply of that currency An overvalued currency increases a country’s exports

A US corporation has a CNY1,000,000 account payable due in 6 months. To hedge its currency risk your company enters into an NDF contract. The current spot rate is CNY7.15/$, the NDF contract rate is CNY7.00/$, and the spot rate 6 months from today is CNY7.25/$

Your company pays $1,929.11

Your company pays $4,926.11

Your company receives $1,929.11

Your company receives $4,926.11

Which of the following transactions is/are in the US BOP account?

I.)    A Chinese company buys US Treasury securities from a broker/dealer in Sydney, Australia.

II.)  An Italian family flies United Airlines to New York.

III.)  A US investment bank buys a German stock from a US insurance company.

IV.) A Spanish mutual fund sells a Chinese company’s stock to a NY investment bank.

V.)  A US company sells a factory in Malaysia to a Chinese bank.

II and V

I and II

II, IV, and V

III and V

Chapman Company obtains 100 percent of Abernethy Company’s stock on January 1, 2020. As of that date, Abernethy has the following trial balance:

Debit CreditAccounts payable   $55,100Accounts receivable$44,700   Additional paid-in capital    50,000Buildings (net) (4-year remaining life) 163,000   Cash and short-term investments 83,750   Common stock    250,000Equipment (net) (5-year remaining life) 207,500   Inventory 122,000   Land 85,500   Long-term liabilities (mature 12/31/23)    162,500Retained earnings, 1/1/20    202,150Supplies 13,300   Totals$719,750 $719,750

During 2020, Abernethy reported net income of $105,000 while declaring and paying dividends of $13,000. During 2021, Abernethy reported net income of $136,750 while declaring and paying dividends of $36,000.

Assume that Chapman Company acquired Abernethy’s common stock for $605,600 in cash. As of January 1, 2020, Abernethy’s land had a fair value of $101,800, its buildings were valued at $227,400, and its equipment was appraised at $164,500. Chapman uses the equity method for this investment.

Prepare consolidation worksheet entries for December 31, 2020, and December 31, 2021. (If no entry is required for a transaction/event, select "No journal entry required" in the first account field.)

The US chocolate maker Mars, one of the world’s largest privately-held companies, issued a voluntary recall in 55 countries for Snickers bars, Milky Way minis, and some other candy bar varieties that were manufactured in a Dutch factory between December 2015 and January 2016. A red piece of plastic was found in one Snickers bar by a customer in Germany; that piece of plastic was traced back to a protective cover used in the manufacturing process at a Mars production facility in the Netherlands. This recall potentially covers millions of candy bars; the recall does not affect Mars’ products made in the US. In an interview with the Financial Times, a financial analyst estimated that the recall would cost the company tens of millions of dollars.

1. Prior to the recall, what specific costs of quality could Mars incur in the design, production, and distribution of its candy bars?
2. What specific costs were the analysts referring to when estimating that this recall could cost Mars “tens of millions of dollars?” List as many costs as you can imagine might be incurred related to the recall.

Undergraduate Degree and MBA Major (3 parts, 14 marks)

BA (=1), BEng (=2), BBA (=3), and several others (=4). There are three possible majors for the MBA students: Accounting (=1), Finance (=2), and Marketing (=3). Can the Statistics professor conclude that the undergraduate degree affects the choice of major?

1. [2 Marks] Create a cross-classified (or contingency) table with undergraduate degree as the row and MBA major as the column. The data in this table should be deemed as observed counts.
2. [3 Marks] Create another table with the corresponding expected counts and having row totals, column totals, and grand total. Round each cell value to two decimal places.
3. [9 Marks] Perform a chi-square test to assess the association (or independence) between undergraduate degree and choice of MBA major at 5% level of significance. Verify the assumptions required for the chi-square test of independence. Make sure you follow all the steps for hypothesis testing indicated in the Instructions section and show your computations.