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Capital Budgeting Case Study 1

The Illinois Cereal Company is considering shutting down its aging manufacturing plant due to declining sales of cereal for older consumers. However, the Vice President has proposed using the plant to produce cereals targeted towards younger consumers instead. The proposal includes estimates of sales, prices, costs and expenses over a 10 year period. The company must determine if the new project has a positive net present value and internal rate of return in order to decide whether to invest in retooling the plant or sell it.

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Rocket Singh
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36 views3 pages

Capital Budgeting Case Study 1

The Illinois Cereal Company is considering shutting down its aging manufacturing plant due to declining sales of cereal for older consumers. However, the Vice President has proposed using the plant to produce cereals targeted towards younger consumers instead. The proposal includes estimates of sales, prices, costs and expenses over a 10 year period. The company must determine if the new project has a positive net present value and internal rate of return in order to decide whether to invest in retooling the plant or sell it.

Uploaded by

Rocket Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Illinois Cereal Company - CAPITAL BUDGETING CASE

Illinois Cereal Company currently produces cereal targeted to


consumers over 40 years of age. Sales have steadily declined over
the last 10 years resulting in a decision to shut down the
manufacturing plant. The plant was built 40 years ago at a cost of
$28,000,000 and is now fully depreciated. A rival cereal company
has offered to purchase the existing facility for $15,000,000 in
as is condition.

The Vice President in charge of the plant has developed an


alternative to closing the plant. The Vice President has proposed
using the existing plant to manufacture wheat flakes, corn flakes,
and rice flakes targeted to consumers under 10 years of age. The
VP estimates sales of wheat flakes to be 400,000 cases in the
first year, 630,000 cases in the second year, and to escalate at
4% for years 3, 4, and 5 and at 3% annually thereafter. Sales of
corn flakes are estimated at 500,000 cases in the first year,
810,000 cases in the second year, and to increase at 3% for years
3,4 and 5 and at 2% annually thereafter. Rice flakes will not be
produced until the third year. Sales of rice flakes are estimated
at 210,000 cases in year three, 340,000 cases in year four and to
increase at 5% for years 5,6, and 7 and at 2% annually thereafter.
The sales price of wheat flakes will be $110 per case in year one,
$130 per case in year two, and will increase 4% annually
thereafter. The sales price of corn flakes will be $90 per case in
year one, $120 per case in year two, and will increase 3% annually
thereafter. The sales price of rice flakes per case will be $70
per case in year three, $85 per case in year four, and will
increase 2% annually thereafter.

1,000 cases of cereal can be produced from one ton of grain. In


year one, the price of grain (per ton) is estimated at: wheat
$31,000, corn $24,000, rice $21,000. The price of wheat is
expected to increase 4% annually. The price of corn is expected to
increase 3% annually. The price of rice is expected to increase 2%
annually. For each ton of grain, 1/2 ton of sugar will be added.
In year one the price of sugar is estimated at $92,000 per ton and
is expected to increase at 4% annually. For each ton of grain,
1/10 ton of vitamin enriched additives will be required. The cost
per ton of vitamin enriched additives will be $125,000 in year one
and will escalate 2% annually.

The plant will employ 75 hourly workers, in year one, 80 hourly


workers in year two, 110 hourly workers in year three, 115 hourly
worker in year four and each year thereafter. Each hourly worker
will work 1900 hours per year. The average hourly wage will be
$22.50 in year one. The plant will employ 9 supervisors in year
one at an average salary of $85,000 each and 3 managers at an
average salary of $210,000 each. In year three, the number of
supervisors increases to 12. All wages and salaries are estimated
to increase 3% annually. The plant's share of corporate services
(accounting, auditing, planning and budgeting) is allocated at 4%
of the annual dollar amount of sales.

Extensive advertising is needed to promote cereal sales. The


advertising budget has been set at $15,000,000 in years one and
two, and $8,000,000 in year three and each year thereafter.

The plant's production manager has determined the costs of


retooling required to begin production. The cost of building wheat
storage facilities is $7,000,000. The cost of building corn
storage facilities is $8,000,000. The cost of building rice
storage facilities is $6,000,000. New flake stamping equipment
will cost $26,000,000. All new equipment and storage facilities
will be depreciated over 10 years using straight line
depreciation.

Transportation costs for each ton of raw materials arriving at the


plant is $2,000 per ton. Transportation costs for each case of
cereal shipped from the plant are $275 per 100 cases.

Accounts receivable will be 10% of annual sales. Inventory will be


12% of the cost of the ingredients used to produce the finished
cereal products (wheat, corn, rice, sugar, and addititives).
Accounts payable will be 8% of the cost of the ingredients.

Illinois Cereal Company has a marginal tax rate of 34%. The firm's
existing capital structure is considered optimal. The firm has
35,000 mortgage bonds outstanding at a coupon interest rate of
9.0%, par value of $1,000, and ten years to maturity. The current
price of one mortgage bond is $1,040. The firm has 44,000 straight
bonds outstanding at a coupon interest rate of 9.5%, and 12 years
to maturity. The current price of one bond is $1,060. The firm has
32,000 callable bonds outstanding at a coupon interest rate of
10.5%, and 15 years to maturity. The price of one callable bond is
$1,020. The firm has 2,800,000 shares of common stock outstanding.
The current dividend is $6. Dividends are expected to grow at an
annual rate of 4%. The current price of a share of stock is $45.
The firm believes internally generated funds will be sufficient to
maintain the firm's optimal capital structure without issuing
additional common stock.
The firm’s weighted average cost of capital is 9 %. Assume at the
end of year 10 the project is discontinued and sold for
$5,000,000. Use an Excel spreadsheet to determine the cash flows
from the project. Determine internal rate of return for the
project and the net present value and IRR of the project.

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