The Campbell Company is considering adding a robotic paint sprayer to its production line. The sprayer's base price is $1,050,000, and it would cost another $21,500 to install it. The machine falls into the MACRS 3-year class, and it would be sold after 3 years for $553,000. The MACRS rates for the first three years are 0.3333, 0.4445, and 0.1481. The machine would require an increase in net working capital (inventory) of $13,500. The sprayer would not change revenues, but it is expected to save the firm $325,000 per year in before-tax operating costs, mainly labor. Campbell's marginal tax rate is 25%. Required:
a. What is the Year 0 net cash flow?
b. What are the net operating cash flows in Years 1, 2, and 3?
c. What is the additional Year-3 cash flow (i. e., the after-tax salvage and the return of working capital)?
d. Based on your IRR analysis, if the projectâs cost of capital is 12%, should the machine be purchased?

Panera bread is a chain of cafes serving sandwiches, soups, and freshly baked breads. the company began in 1981 with stores primarily located along the east coast of the united states. since then, the firm has expanded to over 1,300 locations throughout the united states and canada. the firm has strong earnings and has been designated by business week as a "significant growth company." panera bread executives are considering the idea of expanding globally by opening cafes in asia through a franchising strategy. which of the following, if true, supports the argument that panera bread should expand into asia through franchising? a: the panera bread menu changes rapidly, and each cafe's artisan bread bakers receive regular training on new recipes. b: panera bread executives want fast access to the asian market without a significant investment of capital. c: panera bread executives want to test the asian market with a short-term commitment that allows them to make quick profits. d: the panera bread mission is to make excellent bread available to customers around the world.

Suppose an economist believes that the price level in the economy is directly related to the money supply, or the amount of money circulating in the economy. the economist proposes the following relationship: p=a x m - p=price level - m=money supply - a=a composite of other factors, including real gdp, that change very slowly over time. how might an economist gather empirical data to test the proposed relationship between money and the price level? an economist would persuade the federal reserve to change the money supply to various levels, and observe the resulting changes in the price level. unlike researchers in the hard sciences, economists cannot study complex relationships using data. economists do not usually develop theoretical models of the economy but only analyze summary statistics about the current state of the economy. an economist would look for data on past changes in the money supply, and note the resulting changes in the price level

Which of the following is not an example of one of the four mail advantages of prices on a free market economy