Capital budgeting project
B&B Technologies is considering expanding its operations to include production and sales of high
capacity storage devices. The assistant to the CFO has collected a lot of information which is
described below. Unfortunately, some of the information may be of questionable relevance, but that is
for you to decide. You have asked to present a net present value based analysis to help management
decide on the desirability of getting into the storage device business.
The company owns land near its current manufacturing facility that could be used for the expansion.
The land was purchased several years ago for $300,000, has a current market value of $400,000 and
is not being used right now. The land is expected to increase in value at a rate of 5% per year. The
company has some unused equipment that it currently owns valued at $40,000. This equipment could
either be sold or be modified to produce storage devices; the modification would cost $10,000.
Producing storage devices would also require the purchase of new equipment costing $600,000. The
old equipment would be depreciated using straight line over a 5-year life to a zero salvage value. The
new equipment would be depreciated using the MACRS 7-year life percentages. At the end of its six
year life the new equipment is expected to have a scrap value of 10% of the purchase price.
Producing storage devices would require an initial investment in working capital. Net working capital
is expected to be 15% of expected sales for the coming year and would vary with sales, but remain at
15% of expected sales for the coming year. All working capital would be recovered at the end of the
six-year life of the investment.
The production facility is expected to generate sales revenues of $500,000 in the first year, and sales
are expected to increase by 10% per year through the six year life of the facility. Operating costs are
expected to be 60% of sales. The firm’s effective tax rate of 25% is expected to remain unchanged
over the planning period, and the appropriate required rate of return for this investment is 8%.
Tasks:
Estimate the net present value and the internal rate of return for this investment.
Now suppose the following changes occur. Find the NPV and IRR for the investment under each of
these scenarios.
1. Sales in the first year turn out to be $400,000.
2. Sales in the first year turn out to be $400,000 and revenue growth is 8% p.a. beyond year 1
3. Sales in the first year turn out to be $400,000, revenue growth is 8% p.a. beyond year 1, and
the required rate of return is 9%.
Should B&B Technologies get into the storage device business?
Report format:
Executive summary: Provide a recommendation and a short justification.
Numerical analysis: Suppose the firm decides to go ahead with this project. Lay out the incremental
cash flows for each year, zero (i.e. today) through 6. Find the net present value of these cash flows.
Explanations and discussion: Please make sure to explain why you include each data item that you
include in the numerical analysis.
