CASE STUDY ON BBC LIMITED

QUESTION

CFTP Case Study 2012 Autumn Semester

 

1. BBC Limited was a diversified industrial company with four main divisions – Construction, Decorative Products, Doors, and Water Products. BBC supplied branded products to industrial trade customers in the new housing, renovations, commercial buildings and infrastructure markets. These businesses had evolved through a series of divestments and acquisitions since 2001. BBC aimed to achieve high returns on investment, strong cash flows and steady growth through strategic bolt-on acquisitions and disciplined application of operational improvement programs to their existing brands.

 

2. 2010 was an extremely challenging year for BBC. The company’s financial performance was unsatisfactory. Revenues from continuing operations were down to $773 million. The company recognised a significant non-cash impairment charge against the Water Products division of $133 million, reflecting the continued decline in the performance of this division since it was acquired in 2005. Net profits after tax (before significant items) decreased from $29 million to $12.4 million. Taking significant items into account, BBC recorded a net loss after tax of $124.3 million. Despite the decline in earnings, BBC’s businesses continued to generate strong operating cash flows of $60 million. The company’s net debt at the end of financial year was $128.9 million with gearing (net debt/net debt plus book equity) at 23%. No final dividend was declared though an interim dividend of 7 cents was paid.

 

3. BBC’s recent financial performance was summarised in the following table:

Financial year ending 31 December              2010       2009       2008       2007       2006

Revenue ($ millions)*                                    773         1001       1061       748         602

EBITA ($ millions)**                                    46.8        85.7        123.6      87.8        75.6

Significant items (net of tax)                         -136.5     -42         -7.8         -4.0         0.8

Amortisation of intangibles                           -11.0       -15.5       -6.5         -4.9         -4.5

Reported net profit after tax ($ millions)      -124.3     -12.8       57.8        43.4        42.6

Net debt ($ millions)                                      129         160         319         294         155

Shareholders’ equity ($ millions)                  428         551         594         344         333

Earnings per share (cents)**                          24.8        48.2        83.7        74.5        66.1

Dividends per share (cents)                           7             7             67           63           55

Interest cover (times)**                                 4.2          4.1          5.4          6.4          6.9

* From continuing operations

** Before amortisation and significant items

 

4. The Board was comprised of six non-executive directors and the Managing Director, John Singleton. Meetings were held monthly. Senior executives regularly attended and presented to board meetings on particular issues.

 

5. The following agenda items were discussed at the Board meeting in January 2011:

i.What would be BBC’s after-tax WACC based on its capital structure as at 31/12/10?

ii.Should a different cost of capital be established for the four business divisions?

iii.Further, how should the risk of each project within a division be measured and incorporated into project evaluation?

iv.An update on the executive remuneration review.

v.Should BBC sell its Water Products division and for much?

vi.How should the proceeds of the sale be applied?

 

 

6. BBC had established a capital allocation policy that required NPV to be used in all investment decisions. The after-tax WACC for the company was calculated annually using the market value of the interest–bearing debt and equity securities outstanding at the balance date. Singleton reported that the company WACC was about 11 percent at the end of 2010.

 

7. The Board decided that a separate cost of capital should be established for all its business divisions. Singleton was requested to present an estimate for each divisional WACC in the next meeting.

 

8. On the question of incorporating risk into project evaluation, the Board accepted that any system to account for individual project risk would necessarily be somewhat arbitrary and involve subjective judgment. Adjusting cash flows and estimating project betas were deemed to be impractical. The Board decided that new projects would be classified into three categories: high risk, average risk and low risk. High risk projects would be evaluated at the yet-to-be-determined divisional WACC plus 1.5%; average projects at the divisional WACC; and low risk projects at the divisional WACC minus 1%.

 

9. The General Manager of the Water Products division, Kelvin Mud, requested before the meeting to use the industry’s capital structure to establish the divisional cost of capital. Mud argued that his competitors in the water products industry had a higher ratio of net debt to net debt plus equity to run their business. Singleton was asked to report on the merits of establishing a cost of capital based on the industry average debt-equity mix.

 

10. During 2010 an assessment on the company’s remuneration practices was conducted at the direction of the Board, with the assistance of an external independent remuneration consultant. The review focused on how the remuneration structure could be best aligned with the objective of sustained shareholder value creation over time. A new performance rights plan was proposed. In order for executives to receive shares, a performance hurdle needed to be met over a three-year period. An earnings per share (EPS) hurdle based on earnings after significant items and amortisation would be used, as distinct from the previous plan which was before significant items and amortisation. The EPS hurdle for the 2011 plan was proposed to be 19.0 cents per share and this target was to be increased by 10% a year on a compounding basis.

 

11. The Board received an offer from a private equity group for the acquisition of the Water Products division for $20 million. Despite expecting a turnaround for the water products industry in 2012 and implementing measures to cut fixed operating costs, the Board was quite keen to divest the loss-making division. Singleton noted that if a planned program of store upgrades and rebranding was successfully undertaken in a year’s time, the division could be worth more. This upgrade project was considered low risk. The Board directed Singleton to investigate the best course of action for the division and make a recommendation at the next meeting.

 

12. The Board was divided on how to apply the proceeds of the Water Products division, if the sale was approved. Singleton wanted to resume paying regular interim and final dividends to shareholders. BBC’s dividend policy was to have an annual full year dividend payout ratio of 60-80% of net profit after tax. Due to losses suffered in 2009 and 2010, BBC dramatically cut down its dividend from 67 cents to 7 cents. BBC did not pay an interim dividend for 2009 and no final dividend for 2010.

 

13. Some Board members were worried about the financing arrangement of the company and wanted to use the sale proceeds to reduce the gearing level. BBC was scheduled to repay $120 million in January 2012 and the company was in the process of negotiating with the banks to extend its bank loans facility.

 

14. After the January meeting, Singleton looked at the Balance Sheet as at 31/12/10 to estimate BBC’s after-tax WACC:

($’000)                                                                 ($’000)

Bank overdraft                             3880          Receivables                                        117427

Payables                                        96319        Inventories                                          120614

Bank loans                                   125000      Property, plant and equipment           55158

Provisions                                     39182        Intangibles                                          371412

Share capital                                 520407      Other                                                   27310

Reserves                                        10734

Retained earnings                         (103601)

Total claims                                 691921      Total assets                                         691921

 

15. BBC had arranged a bank overdraft facility with a $4 million limit. The interest rate for the overdrafts as at the balance date was 7.5%. BBC also had a variable-interest bank loans facility of $240 million, with $125 million already utilised at the balance date. The interest rate for bank loans was 8.1% at 31 December 2010. BBC complied with all financial covenants during 2010. BBC had 94.2 million ordinary shares outstanding at year-end 2010, with the equity beta estimated to be 2.0. Except with about 1 million shares issued under the employee share plan, BBC had not issued any new shares since 2006.

 

16. Assuming no further writedown of assets, earnings per share was forecasted to be 14.4 cents per share. A total annual dividend of 8.5 cents per share was planned for 2011. If the Water Products division was sold before April 2011, EPS would be about the same.

 

17. To establish a cost of capital for the Water Products division, Singleton decided to first estimate the divisional cost of equity using a beta of 2.30, which was the average equity beta of the division’s competitors. Combining it with BBC’s cost of debt and market-value debt-equity mix, Singleton worked out the divisional WACC.

 

18. To find out the present value of the Water Products division, Singleton took the divisional results of 2010 as the base year (t=0) and made various projections to prepare a spreadsheet “Table 1”. Singleton expected sales revenue to fall further in 2011 before returning to a steady state of growth. Singleton used a valuation horizon of 4 years and estimated the horizon value by using the constant-growth discounted cash flow formula with a long-run growth rate of 3% per year. The recovery of working capital was implicitly included in the horizon value and was not separately accounted for. Singleton applied the divisional WACC to discount the cash flows.

 

19. Singleton further examined if a $2 million upgrade project of Water Products division should begin in a year’s time (at the end of 2011). The extra after-tax cash flows from the upgrade, generated over and above the cash flows expected from Table 1, were projected in Table 2. The extra cash flow in year 4 in Table 2 had already incorporated the discounted value of all subsequent cash flows beyond year 4. All these extra cash flows from the upgrade in Table 2 were considered to be low-risk.


 



Table 1

Forecast Year-end Free Cash Flow Spreadsheet for Water Products division ($’000)

2010, t=0

t=1

 t=2

t=3

 t=4

t=5

Sales

170000

160000

176000

184800

Variable cost

129200

121600

133760

Fixed cost

52000

30000

30900

Depreciation

5700

4500

4950

Operating income

-16900

3900

Tax (30%)

5070

 1170

Net income

 -11830

2730

Depreciation

5700

4500

Operating cash flow

 -6130

7230

Investment in fixed assets

0

8000

8000

Investment in working capital

-2400

-2000

3200

Free cash flow

-3730

1230

-1777

Assumptions:

Tax rate

30%

Sales in year 1

$160 million

Sales growth rate starting in year 2

10% per year

Sales growth rate starting in year 3 and 4

5% per year

Sales growth rate starting in year 5 and beyond

3% per year

Variable cost as a percentage of sales

76%
Fixed cost in year 1 $30 million
Fixed cost growth rate in year 2 and beyond 3% per year
Depreciation in year 1 $4.5 million
Depreciation growth rate in year 2 and beyond same as sales growth rate
Investment in fixed assets in year 1 and beyond $8 million per year
Investment in working capital in years 1 – 5 is equal to 20% of the expected change in sales from the previous year.

All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.

 

 

 

 

Table 2

After-tax cash flow projections for ‘Upgrade’ of Water Products division next year ($’000)

                        Year                Upgrade          Discounted value at a notional rate 10%

t=1                   -2000               -2000

t=2                   250                  227

t=3                   350                  289

t=4                   2000                1503

NPVt=1 = 19

 

As an assistant to Singleton, you were asked to help out in the following problems before the February 2011 board meeting:

1.      Calculate BBC’s company after-tax WACC. The risk-free rate was 4.1%, the market risk premium was 6.0%, the company tax rate was 30%. BBC shares were traded at $1.30. The WACC should be rounded to four decimal places.

  1. To cross-check the accuracy of the estimate, use the dividend growth formula re = [(DPS1/Price) + growth rate] to re-estimate BBC’s cost of equity. Assume a growth rate of 4.5%. Explain whether this estimate of re is a better estimate than the one obtained in Question 1.
  2. Calculate the Water Products division WACC using the procedures in paragraph 17.
    1. What could be said about the relative business risk of the Water Products division compared to other water products providers when Singleton chose to use competitors’ average equity beta in estimating the divisional cost of equity?
    2. Point out the inconsistence of Mud’s suggestion of using the industry average debt-equity mix (paragraph 9) with Singleton’s specific method of establishing the Water Products divisional cost of capital (paragraph 17).
  3. Complete Table 1 in accordance with the given assumptions, showing the derivation of free cash flow in each year from year 1 to year 5. Do not include the horizon value.
  4. Calculate the horizon value as of year 4.
  5. Using the appropriate cost of capital and the format of Table 2, show the discounted value of the cash flow in each year from year 1 to year 4 plus and the horizon value. What would be the present value of the Water Products division on its own without expansion or abandonment?
  6. Using the appropriate cost of capital, construct Table 2 again to show the correct discounted value of the expansion cash flows in year 1 to year 4. Show the appropriate NPVt=1 as well.
  7. Calculate the value of the option for Water Products division to expand as of year 0.
  8. If the Water Products division could be sold on its own, without any expansion undertaken, for $21 million in a year’s time, calculate the value of the abandonment option at t=1. Assume BBC had already received the free cash flow of 2011 (t=1).
  9. What is the present value of the Water Products division with expansion and abandonment all considered? Explain.
  10. Calculate the Economic Value Added in year 1 for the Water Products division. Show workings.
    1. Point out one major inadequacy of the proposed EPS hurdle in BBC’s executive remuneration plan. Provide evidence to support your point.
    2. Provide evidence that BBC might need to reduce its debt.
    3. If BBC were to use the proceeds of the sale of the Water Products division for a payout to shareholders, how should it be done? Explain the details.
    4. Irrespective of your answer in Q16, what would be the best way for BBC to apply the proceeds if the Water Products division was sold immediately for $20 million?

 

Group limit:    Students can form a group of 4 people or less to attempt the assignment. [UTSOnline Discussion Board may help students find partners.] If a student is unable or unwilling to find anyone else to form a group, he/she has to attempt the case study individually.

 

Presentation:   The assignment is to be typed, doubled spaced with a font size of 12 (no smaller than this font size). The length of the submitted work should not exceed 7 A4 pages including the cover page and any spreadsheet.

 

Answer each question in correct sequence. Do not separate any table/spreadsheet from the body of the answers. No appendices should be used.

 

Do not use more than 50 words to explain the answer in any question. No mark will be awarded in any question if exceeding the word limit.

 

The assignment is worth 20 marks. Each question is worth one mark except questions 1, 2 and 6.

 

 

Members of a group will receive the same mark for the assignment. Get started early to avoid problems such as team members getting sick or leaving the group unexpectedly. As in real life, students have to deal with the “free-rider” problem themselves and be actively involved to avoid being kicked out of a group.

Assessment:    Most issues involved in the case would have been covered in classes. Team discussion of all questions helps achieve a better result (about half of the assignments submitted individually were awarded a fail grade in the past).

 

The following will be considered in assessing the submitted work:

–     the correctness of the analysis; reasoning underlying each decision must be presented

–     whether the answer is applicable and relevant for BBC; general theoretical statements will not be rewarded

–     whether the word limit is exceeded

–     the quality of the written expression (grammar, spelling etc…)

–     plagiarism will result in zero marks for the assignment (all assignments are marked by the subject coordinator himself)

 

 Note: No plastic cover. Just staple the 7 pages together.

The cover sheet must list alphabetically the name of the students with student number included.

SOLUTION

CFTP Case Study 2012 Autumn Semester

 

1. BBC Limited was a diversified industrial company with four main divisions – Construction, Decorative Products, Doors, and Water Products. BBC supplied branded products to industrial trade customers in the new housing, renovations, commercial buildings and infrastructure markets. These businesses had evolved through a series of divestments and acquisitions since 2001. BBC aimed to achieve high returns on investment, strong cash flows and steady growth through strategic bolt-on acquisitions and disciplined application of operational improvement programs to their existing brands.

 

2. 2010 was an extremely challenging year for BBC. The company’s financial performance was unsatisfactory. Revenues from continuing operations were down to $773 million. The company recognised a significant non-cash impairment charge against the Water Products division of $133 million, reflecting the continued decline in the performance of this division since it was acquired in 2005. Net profits after tax (before significant items) decreased from $29 million to $12.4 million. Taking significant items into account, BBC recorded a net loss after tax of $124.3 million. Despite the decline in earnings, BBC’s businesses continued to generate strong operating cash flows of $60 million. The company’s net debt at the end of financial year was $128.9 million with gearing (net debt/net debt plus book equity) at 23%. No final dividend was declared though an interim dividend of 7 cents was paid.

 

3. BBC’s recent financial performance was summarised in the following table:

Financial year ending 31 December              2010       2009       2008       2007       2006

Revenue ($ millions)*                                    773         1001       1061       748         602

EBITA ($ millions)**                                    46.8        85.7        123.6      87.8        75.6

Significant items (net of tax)                         -136.5     -42         -7.8         -4.0         0.8

Amortisation of intangibles                           -11.0       -15.5       -6.5         -4.9         -4.5

Reported net profit after tax ($ millions)      -124.3     -12.8       57.8        43.4        42.6

Net debt ($ millions)                                      129         160         319         294         155

Shareholders’ equity ($ millions)                  428         551         594         344         333

Earnings per share (cents)**                          24.8        48.2        83.7        74.5        66.1

Dividends per share (cents)                           7             7             67           63           55

Interest cover (times)**                                 4.2          4.1          5.4          6.4          6.9

* From continuing operations

** Before amortisation and significant items

 

4. The Board was comprised of six non-executive directors and the Managing Director, John Singleton. Meetings were held monthly. Senior executives regularly attended and presented to board meetings on particular issues.

 

5. The following agenda items were discussed at the Board meeting in January 2011:

i.What would be BBC’s after-tax WACC based on its capital structure as at 31/12/10?

ii.Should a different cost of capital be established for the four business divisions?

iii.Further, how should the risk of each project within a division be measured and incorporated into project evaluation?

iv.An update on the executive remuneration review.

v.Should BBC sell its Water Products division and for much?

vi.How should the proceeds of the sale be applied?

 

 

6. BBC had established a capital allocation policy that required NPV to be used in all investment decisions. The after-tax WACC for the company was calculated annually using the market value of the interest–bearing debt and equity securities outstanding at the balance date. Singleton reported that the company WACC was about 11 percent at the end of 2010.

 

7. The Board decided that a separate cost of capital should be established for all its business divisions. Singleton was requested to present an estimate for each divisional WACC in the next meeting.

 

8. On the question of incorporating risk into project evaluation, the Board accepted that any system to account for individual project risk would necessarily be somewhat arbitrary and involve subjective judgment. Adjusting cash flows and estimating project betas were deemed to be impractical. The Board decided that new projects would be classified into three categories: high risk, average risk and low risk. High risk projects would be evaluated at the yet-to-be-determined divisional WACC plus 1.5%; average projects at the divisional WACC; and low risk projects at the divisional WACC minus 1%.

 

9. The General Manager of the Water Products division, Kelvin Mud, requested before the meeting to use the industry’s capital structure to establish the divisional cost of capital. Mud argued that his competitors in the water products industry had a higher ratio of net debt to net debt plus equity to run their business. Singleton was asked to report on the merits of establishing a cost of capital based on the industry average debt-equity mix.

 

10. During 2010 an assessment on the company’s remuneration practices was conducted at the direction of the Board, with the assistance of an external independent remuneration consultant. The review focused on how the remuneration structure could be best aligned with the objective of sustained shareholder value creation over time. A new performance rights plan was proposed. In order for executives to receive shares, a performance hurdle needed to be met over a three-year period. An earnings per share (EPS) hurdle based on earnings after significant items and amortisation would be used, as distinct from the previous plan which was before significant items and amortisation. The EPS hurdle for the 2011 plan was proposed to be 19.0 cents per share and this target was to be increased by 10% a year on a compounding basis.

 

11. The Board received an offer from a private equity group for the acquisition of the Water Products division for $20 million. Despite expecting a turnaround for the water products industry in 2012 and implementing measures to cut fixed operating costs, the Board was quite keen to divest the loss-making division. Singleton noted that if a planned program of store upgrades and rebranding was successfully undertaken in a year’s time, the division could be worth more. This upgrade project was considered low risk. The Board directed Singleton to investigate the best course of action for the division and make a recommendation at the next meeting.

 

12. The Board was divided on how to apply the proceeds of the Water Products division, if the sale was approved. Singleton wanted to resume paying regular interim and final dividends to shareholders. BBC’s dividend policy was to have an annual full year dividend payout ratio of 60-80% of net profit after tax. Due to losses suffered in 2009 and 2010, BBC dramatically cut down its dividend from 67 cents to 7 cents. BBC did not pay an interim dividend for 2009 and no final dividend for 2010.

 

13. Some Board members were worried about the financing arrangement of the company and wanted to use the sale proceeds to reduce the gearing level. BBC was scheduled to repay $120 million in January 2012 and the company was in the process of negotiating with the banks to extend its bank loans facility.

 

14. After the January meeting, Singleton looked at the Balance Sheet as at 31/12/10 to estimate BBC’s after-tax WACC:

($’000)                                                                 ($’000)

Bank overdraft                             3880          Receivables                                        117427

Payables                                        96319        Inventories                                          120614

Bank loans                                   125000      Property, plant and equipment           55158

Provisions                                     39182        Intangibles                                          371412

Share capital                                 520407      Other                                                   27310

Reserves                                        10734

Retained earnings                         (103601)

Total claims                                 691921      Total assets                                         691921

 

15. BBC had arranged a bank overdraft facility with a $4 million limit. The interest rate for the overdrafts as at the balance date was 7.5%. BBC also had a variable-interest bank loans facility of $240 million, with $125 million already utilised at the balance date. The interest rate for bank loans was 8.1% at 31 December 2010. BBC complied with all financial covenants during 2010. BBC had 94.2 million ordinary shares outstanding at year-end 2010, with the equity beta estimated to be 2.0. Except with about 1 million shares issued under the employee share plan, BBC had not issued any new shares since 2006.

 

16. Assuming no further writedown of assets, earnings per share was forecasted to be 14.4 cents per share. A total annual dividend of 8.5 cents per share was planned for 2011. If the Water Products division was sold before April 2011, EPS would be about the same.

 

17. To establish a cost of capital for the Water Products division, Singleton decided to first estimate the divisional cost of equity using a beta of 2.30, which was the average equity beta of the division’s competitors. Combining it with BBC’s cost of debt and market-value debt-equity mix, Singleton worked out the divisional WACC.

 

18. To find out the present value of the Water Products division, Singleton took the divisional results of 2010 as the base year (t=0) and made various projections to prepare a spreadsheet “Table 1”. Singleton expected sales revenue to fall further in 2011 before returning to a steady state of growth. Singleton used a valuation horizon of 4 years and estimated the horizon value by using the constant-growth discounted cash flow formula with a long-run growth rate of 3% per year. The recovery of working capital was implicitly included in the horizon value and was not separately accounted for. Singleton applied the divisional WACC to discount the cash flows.

 

19. Singleton further examined if a $2 million upgrade project of Water Products division should begin in a year’s time (at the end of 2011). The extra after-tax cash flows from the upgrade, generated over and above the cash flows expected from Table 1, were projected in Table 2. The extra cash flow in year 4 in Table 2 had already incorporated the discounted value of all subsequent cash flows beyond year 4. All these extra cash flows from the upgrade in Table 2 were considered to be low-risk.


 



Table 1

Forecast Year-end Free Cash Flow Spreadsheet for Water Products division ($’000)

2010, t=0

t=1

 t=2

t=3

 t=4

t=5

Sales

170000

160000

176000

184800

Variable cost

129200

121600

133760

Fixed cost

52000

30000

30900

Depreciation

5700

4500

4950

Operating income

-16900

3900

Tax (30%)

5070

 1170

Net income

 -11830

2730

Depreciation

5700

4500

Operating cash flow

 -6130

7230

Investment in fixed assets

0

8000

8000

Investment in working capital

-2400

-2000

3200

Free cash flow

-3730

1230

-1777

Assumptions:

Tax rate

30%

Sales in year 1

$160 million

Sales growth rate starting in year 2

10% per year

Sales growth rate starting in year 3 and 4

5% per year

Sales growth rate starting in year 5 and beyond

3% per year

Variable cost as a percentage of sales

76%
Fixed cost in year 1 $30 million
Fixed cost growth rate in year 2 and beyond 3% per year
Depreciation in year 1 $4.5 million
Depreciation growth rate in year 2 and beyond same as sales growth rate
Investment in fixed assets in year 1 and beyond $8 million per year
Investment in working capital in years 1 – 5 is equal to 20% of the expected change in sales from the previous year.

All figures are rounded to the nearest thousand dollars.

 

 

 

 

Table 2

After-tax cash flow projections for ‘Upgrade’ of Water Products division next year ($’000)

                        Year                Upgrade          Discounted value at a notional rate 10%

t=1                   -2000               -2000

t=2                   250                  227

t=3                   350                  289

t=4                   2000                1503

NPVt=1 = 19

 

As an assistant to Singleton, you were asked to help out in the following problems before the February 2011 board meeting:

  1. Calculate BBC’s company after-tax WACC. The risk-free rate was 4.1%, the market risk premium was 6.0%, the company tax rate was 30%. BBC shares were traded at $1.30. The WACC should be rounded to four decimal places.

 

Answer :

 

=   4.1% +2.3(6%)

= 17.9%

 

  1. To cross-check the accuracy of the estimate, use the dividend growth formula re = [(DPS1/Price) + growth rate] to re-estimate BBC’s cost of equity. Assume a growth rate of 4.5%. Explain whether this estimate of re is a better estimate than the one obtained in Question 1.

 

Answer

( DPS1/Price)+Growth rate

 

DPS1 has given in paragraph 3 is 7 cents

 

= (0.07$/ 1.3$) +4.5% = 4.55%

 

There is a huge difference between re-estimated cost of equity from the one calculated in Q.1

 

  1. Calculate the Water Products division WACC using the procedures in paragraph 17.

 

Answer:

 

=   4.1% +2.3(6%)

= 17.9%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source Amount($million) Proportion Cost(%) After tax cost(%) Weighted cost(%)
Debt

125

0.505132

8.1

5.67

2.86

Equity*

122.46

0.494868

17.9

17.9

8.86

 

247.46

     WACC

11.72

* 94.2*1.3 =122.46        

 

 

 

  1. What could be said about the relative business risk of the Water Products division compared to other water products providers when Singleton chose to use competitors’ average equity beta in estimating the divisional cost of equity?

 

Answer : It is not right because Water Products division has been running into loss since 2005.The following fact shows that it is more riskier than competitors’ average equity beta :

 

The company recognised a significant non-cash impairment charge against the Water Products division of $133 million, reflecting the continued decline in the performance of this division since it was acquired in 2005. Net profits after tax (before significant items) decreased from $29 million to $12.4 million. Taking significant items into account, BBC recorded a net loss after tax of $124.3 million

 

 

  1. Point out the inconsistence of Mud’s suggestion of using the industry average debt-equity mix (paragraph 9) with Singleton’s specific method of establishing the Water Products divisional cost of capital (paragraph 17).

 

Answer : This inconsistency of Mud’s suggestion may be because now (in paragraph 17) he has considered beta of 2.3 which is average equity beta of division’s competitors  nad he also said (in paragraph 9 ) that the industry is using a higher debt ratio.

 

  1. Complete Table 1 in accordance with the given assumptions, showing the derivation of free cash flow in each year from year 1 to year 5. Do not include the horizon value.

 

Answer :

 

Table 1

Forecast Year-end Free Cash Flow Spreadsheet for Water Products division ($’000)

2010, t=0

t=1

 t=2

t=3

 t=4

t=5

Sales

170000

160000

176000

184800

194040

199861.2

Variable cost

129200

121600

133760

140448

147470

151894.51

Fixed cost

52000

30000

30900

31827

32781.8

33765.264

Depreciation

5700

4500

4950

5197.5

5457.38

5621.0963

Operating income

-16900

3900

6390

7327.5

8330.42

8580.3274

Tax (30%)

5070

1170

1917

2198.25

2499.12

2574.0982

Net income

-11830

2730

4473

5129.25

5831.29

6006.2292

Depreciation

5700

4500

4950

5197.5

5457.38

5621.0963

Operating cash flow

-6130

7230

9423

10326.8

11288.7

11627.325

Investment in fixed assets

0

8000

8000

8000

8000

8000

Investment in working capital

-2400

-2000

3200

1760

1848

1164.24

Free cash flow

-3730

1230

-1777

8566.75

9440.67

10463.085

 

 

 

  1. Calculate the horizon value as of year 4.

 

 

Answer :  Horizon Value = FCF*(1+g) / WACC-g

g=3% given paragraph 18 of the case

 

=9440.67 (1+0.03)/0.1172 – 0.03

= 9165.69 / 0 .0872     =   105111.12

 

 

  1. Using the appropriate cost of capital and the format of Table 2, show the discounted value of the cash flow in each year from year 1 to year 4 plus and the horizon value. What would be the present value of the Water Products division on its own without expansion or abandonment?

Answer:

 

 

Year       FCF Discounted value at a WACC 11.72%
1 1230 1230.00
2 -1777 -1590.58
3 8566.75 6863.64
4 9440.666 6770.33
  NPV= 13273.38

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Using the appropriate cost of capital, construct Table 2 again to show the correct discounted value of the expansion cash flows in year 1 to year 4. Show the appropriate NPVt=1 as well.

 

Year       Upgrade Discounted value at a(WACC-1)= 10.72%
1 -2000 -2000
2 250 225.79
3 350 285.51
4 2000 1473.51
  NPV = -15.19

 

 

 

  1. Calculate the value of the option for Water Products division to expand as of year 0.

 

NPV with expansion (From answer of Q.9)- NPV without expansion (from answer of Q.8)

Option value to expand = 13272.38 – (-) 15.19    = 13288.58

 

 

  1. If the Water Products division could be sold on its own, without any expansion undertaken, for $21 million in a year’s time, calculate the value of the abandonment option at t=1. Assume BBC had already received the free cash flow of 2011 (t=1).

 

Answer : As it has already received FCF of 2011 so we make it zero in the table and calculated the NPV again as follows :

 

Year       FCF($’000) Discounted value at a WACC 11.72%

1

0

0.00

2

-1777

-1590.58

3

8566.75

6863.64

4

9440.666

6770.33

  NPV=

12043.38

 

NPVwith abandonment option – NPVwithout abandonment option

 

Value of the option to abandonment is = 21000-12043.38 = 8956.62

 

 

  1. What is the present value of the Water Products division with expansion and abandonment all considered? Explain.

 

Present value of the Water Products division with expansion and abandonment all considered is = NPV with expansion – NPV with Abandonment

 

= 15.19 -12043.38   = $ 12058.57

 

 

 

 

  1. Calculate the Economic Value Added in year 1 for the Water Products division. Show workings.

 

 

t=1

     Sales

160000

Variable cost

121600

Fixed cost

30000

Depreciation

4500

Operating income

3900

Tax (30%)

1170

Net income

2730

 

Assets =  year 1

Investment in fixed assets

8000

Investment in working capital

-2000

Depreciation

4500

Net Assets

1500

 

EVA = income earned – (cost of capital x investment

= 2730– (.1 x 1500) = $2580

 

 

 

  1. Point out one major inadequacy of the proposed EPS hurdle in BBC’s executive remuneration plan. Provide evidence to support your point.

 

Answer:                     The inadequacy is that they have not considered last 5 years trend in EPS. As in Paragraph 3 EPS has decreased by from 66.1 in 2006 , 74.5 in 2007,83.7 in 2008 , 48.2 in 2009 and 24.8 in 2010. When EPS is 24.8 they are giving DPS of 7 cents then 19 cents is an over optimistic plan for 2011.

 

 

 

  1. Provide evidence that BBC might need to reduce its debt.

 

In paragraph 14 we can see debt is around 32% of total claims which is very high. Evidence is as follows :

  ($’000)
Bank overdraft 3880
Payables 96319
Bank loans 125000
Provisions 39182
Share capital 520407
Reserves 10734
Retained earnings -103601
 Total claims 691921

 

Total Debt =

225199

Proportion of Debt in total claim =

33%

 

 

 

  1. If BBC were to use the proceeds of the sale of the Water Products division for a payout to shareholders, how should it be done? Explain the details.

 

Answer: If BBC were to use the proceeds of the sale of the Water Products division for a payout to shareholders then it can do payout in the following way :

 

1. Paying surplus (sale price-book value of the division) directly to the shareholder as DPS

2. Investing the amount in project and then distributing the returns.

 

 

  1. Irrespective of your answer in Q16, what would be the best way for BBC to apply the proceeds if the Water Products division was sold immediately for $20 million?

 

Answer: It would pay the dividends out of this amount because BBC is facing the profit shortage for paying dividend and it has to repay debt also.

 

 

Group limit:    Students can form a group of 4 people or less to attempt the assignment. [UTSOnline Discussion Board may help students find partners.] If a student is unable or unwilling to find anyone else to form a group, he/she has to attempt the case study individually.

 

Presentation:   The assignment is to be typed, doubled spaced with a font size of 12 (no smaller than this font size). The length of the submitted work should not exceed 7 A4 pages including the cover page and any spreadsheet.

 

Answer each question in correct sequence. Do not separate any table/spreadsheet from the body of the answers. No appendices should be used.

 

Do not use more than 50 words to explain the answer in any question. No mark will be awarded in any question if exceeding the word limit.

 

The assignment is worth 20 marks. Each question is worth one mark except questions 1, 2 and 6.

 

 

Members of a group will receive the same mark for the assignment. Get started early to avoid problems such as team members getting sick or leaving the group unexpectedly. As in real life, students have to deal with the “free-rider” problem themselves and be actively involved to avoid being kicked out of a group.

Assessment:    Most issues involved in the case would have been covered in classes. Team discussion of all questions helps achieve a better result (about half of the assignments submitted individually were awarded a fail grade in the past).

 

The following will be considered in assessing the submitted work:

–     the correctness of the analysis; reasoning underlying each decision must be presented

–     whether the answer is applicable and relevant for BBC; general theoretical statements will not be rewarded

–     whether the word limit is exceeded

–     the quality of the written expression (grammar, spelling etc…)

–     plagiarism will result in zero marks for the assignment (all assignments are marked by the subject coordinator himself)

 

 

Note: No plastic cover. Just staple the 7 pages together.

The cover sheet must list alphabetically the name of the students with student number included.

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