Deutsche Brauerei
Teaching Note
Synopsis and Objectives
A newly-appointed director of a small German beer brewer must prepare to vote on three issues coming before the board of directors the next day: (1) approval of the financial plan for 2001, (2) declaration of the quarterly dividend, and (3) adoption of an incentive compensation plan for the marketing manager. The student’s task is to evaluate the past and prospective financial performance of the company and to critique its liberal credit and inventory policies. The objectives of the case are to:
• Introduce and exercise tools and concepts of financial-statement analysis (including financial ratios, break-even analysis, and cash-flow statements).
• Explore
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Open-ended questions such as these will generate energy in the class, though the instructor should take care to limit the amount of time spent in this phase of the class, since students will find it easy to offer observations about the firm’s apparent strategy and financial performance. By letting the students assess the problems of this company in a nondirective fashion, the instructor can gauge students’ abilities and build students’ “ownership” of the analysis. The next three questions are a directive approach to problem assessment and could supplement this question or be used in place of it.
3. What does the break-even chart tell us?
This question gives students an opportunity to exercise their ability to interpret break-even analyses. Key teaching points should include explaining the preparation of a break-even chart, the interpretation of the break-even volume (938,799 hectoliters [HL]), and the comparison of the break-even volume to the current volume (1,173,000 HL). Another key point is that the chart in case Exhibit 5 is relevant only for the current cost structure of the company—if variable costs increase or the plant expansion is approved, the break-even volume will rise. Finally, students should be aided in understanding that “break-even” refers to operating profit, not free cash flow. The typical use of the break-even chart ignores taxes, investments, and the depreciation tax shield.
4. What do the financial
The analysis of a company's financial statements helps in the determination of both the weaknesses and strengths of the concerned entity. Further, such an analysis helps in the determination of the future viability of firms. There are a wide range of techniques utilized in the analysis of financial statements. In that regard, it is important to note that the relevance of a horizontal, vertical as well as ratio analysis of a company's financial statements cannot be overstated. This is more so the case when it comes to the interpretation of the various dollar amounts presented in both the balance sheet and the income statement. In this text, I carry out a horizontal, vertical as well as ratio analysis of both The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, Inc. The analysis' results will be critical in the evaluation of each company's performance. Findings will be used as a basis for recommendations on how each company can improve its financial status.
6. Outline a plan, based on the information provided in the scenario, which the company could use in order to evaluate its financial performance. Consider all the key drivers of performance, such as company profit or loss for both the short term and long term, and the fundamental manner in which each factor influences managerial decisions.
Select a major industrial or commercial company based in the United States and listed on one of the major stock exchanges in the United States. Each student should select a different company. Avoid selecting an insurance company or a bank, because the financial ratios for these financial businesses are different. Write a seven-to-eight-page double-spaced paper answering and demonstrating with calculations and financial data the following questions.
My objective in researching Verizon’s financial statements was gaining a better understanding of the company’s short and long term goals. As I embarked on this journey, I reviewed the requirements, after selecting Verizon, and subsequently realized that my choice was not a “traditional” manufacturing entity; as such I focused my analysis on key types of financial ratios. My analysis will discuss Verizon’s performance as it relates to Asset Productivity, Financial Strength, and Profitability. Through my research, paired with the course’s content my initial impression of this project changed, as did my appreciation for the role
In order to minimize cost, the 500,000 gallons of cleaning fluid from the Cincinnati plant will be distributed as follows:
Higher leverage is very likely to create value for a firm considering capital structure change by exerting financial discipline and more efficient corporate strategy changes.
Scrumptious Cakes is a small bakery business started by college friends Amira and Heather. They do not really understand what a breakeven chart is or how it could help them with their financial planning
The company’s debt ratios are 54.5% in 1988, 58.69% in 1989, 62.7% in 1990, and 67.37% in 1991. What this means is that the company is increasing its financial risk by taking on more leverage. The company has been taking an extensive amount of purchasing over the past couple of years, which could be the reason as to why net income has not grown much beyond several thousands of dollars. One could argue that the company is trying to expand its inventory to help accumulate future sales. But another problem is that the company’s
Breakeven analysis (cost-volume-profit analysis) is an approach to profit planning that requires derivation of various relationships among revenue, fixed costs, and variable costs in order to determine units of production or volume of sales at which firm “breaks even” (where total revenues equal total of fixed and variable costs). The analysis is built on various
Due Week 4 and worth 200 points Research a public corporation that you believe is not doing as well as it could in the marketplace. For this first paper, you will complete the first steps of a comprehensive written analysis as described in Part 6 of the textbook. The written analysis will be completed in the second written assignment in this course.
All managers need to understand where value comes from in their firm. The purpose of this analysis is to identify the financial strategy and performance of this particular publicly traded company. The process of understanding the risk and profitability of a company by analyzing reported financial info, especially annual and quarterly reports are vital to identifying the company’s overall financial performance. I wanted to analyze Coca Cola because the company has so much history and is one of the most recognizable brands in the world. I have always enjoyed researching food and beverage companies
General Questions for Case 4: 1. What happened in 1999? Was it a good year for the company? 2. What is the Balanced Scorecard? What are the strengths and limitations of a Balanced Scorecard approach as it applies in this case? 3. What is Maverick’s value-added proposition? What competitive advantage is the company trying to achieve in its competitive landscape? What are its strategic goals and is the company organized to achieve them? 4. Who are the stakeholders? In other words who are the parties who stand to benefit from an effective performance evaluation system and why would they benefit? 5. What is your overall evaluation of Maverick Lodging’s management-control and performance-measurement systems? 6. What other management issues can you discover? 7. What is your assessment of the “Flowthrough Flexible Budget System”? 8. How do you assess how Ms. Baum went about implementing the new system? 9. If you were Cindy Baum, what would you do differently?
Break-even analysis is a technique widely used by production management and management accountants. It is based on categorizing production costs between those which are "variable" (costs that change when the production output changes) and those that are "fixed" (costs not directly related to the volume of production).
Financial statements are important tools that are used by owners, managers, and investors of a company in order to analyze profitability as well as where money is being spent and where it is coming from. In order to explain further about how the financial statements are utilized, I have provided a brief breakdown of the income statement, the balance sheet, and the statement of cash flows.
Conducting financial analysis for firms can be an important avenue to understand financial stability or risk. Utilizing specific metrics and comparing them to like industries allows for an understanding of the viability and stability of the firm among its competitors. Analyzing historical data and translating this information into specific ratios allows for a strong comparison among organizations on the same level. Presented is a financial analysis of Happy Hamburger Company with specific examination of the firm’s strengths and weaknesses based upon current ratio, day’s sales outstanding, inventory turnover, fixed asset turnover, total asset turnover return on sales, return on assets, return on equity, and debt ratio.