Identify Trinity and analyze the Matrix Problem “I was looking for an answer. It’s the question that drives us…”
— Trinity [Carrie-Anne Moss], The Matrix
It’s one thing to make a claim, but identifying a real problem in the world and arguing for a solution to it is a radically different undertaking. The task for this Quest, which is worth up to 200 points, is to take the first step on that road, which is to identify and analyze a problem.
Identify Trinity and analyze the Matrix Problem
Select a problem in your community, something that is bigger than just you and your immediate family. In a researched essay of at least 1500 words, you need to define this problem and explain why it is important to address it.
Identify Trinity and analyze the Matrix Problem Essay Guidelines
The essay must draw upon at least 3 research sources that help you to explain the background and context surrounding the problem, what its deep or root cause(s) may be, and the consequences or effects that it has in the world. Your problem can be global, national, regional, or local, but it must be something current that can be addressed with real-world solutions. NOTE that you do not need to provide solutions at this time, although if there are any solutions already underway, you can discuss those as part of the analysis of the problem.
Variable and Fixed Costs Annual Report Using the Internet, find the annual report of one retail company and one manufacturing company.
Variable and Fixed Costs Annual Report
Print out each company’s income statement. You can find these statements in the annual reports on companies’ websites.
Review each income statement, and provide an analysis of which operating costs are likely to be variable and which are likely to be fixed. Include copies of both income statements when submitting your answer.
How would you expect a retail company’s mix of variable and fixed operating costs to differ from that of a manufacturing company?
How might the managers of these companies use cost behavior information?
Old Money Entertainment Shareholders Rights Your firm’s client Don Jameson, the aspiring music producer and CEO of Old Money Entertainment (OME), has been expanding the business quite well since he incorporated.
Old Money Entertainment Shareholders Rights
OME now has six shareholders and its capitalization is $100 million. OME just signed a young, up and coming singer/songwriter/dancer who is widely believed to be “the next Michael Jackson.” Don Jameson owns 55% of the stock in OME; the other 45% of the stock is split among the other five shareholders, who own 9% each.
Don would like to take the company public so he can both cash out some of his investment and gain additional capital for the business to expand. Your managing partner has asked you to perform legal research to ascertain (1) What OME would need to do to go public on the NASDAQ and (2) what provisions would apply to protect the interests of existing shareholders.
Managerial Accounting Sarbanes Oxley 1. The key topic is the nature of managerial accounting and how to distinguish it from financial accounting.
Managerial Accounting Sarbanes Oxley
Briefly describe this issue in your own words and identify a professional situation in which you foresee yourself using or applying this issue or concept.
2. What is the purpose of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002? What events led to the implementation of the Act? How has the Act impacted the world of managerial accounting? One direct effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on corporate governance is the strengthening of public companies’ audit committees. The audit committee receives wide leverage in overseeing the top management’s accounting decisions.
Production Cost Report and Cost Allocation 1.Although the production cost report provides information needed to transfer costs from one account to another, managers also use this report for decision-making purposes.
Production Cost Report and Cost Allocation
What important questions can be answered using the production cost report?
2. cost allocation. Briefly describe this concept and identify a professional situation in which you foresee yourself using or applying this issue or concept.
3. Why do companies often allocate a share of service department costs to production departments for internal reporting purposes even though U.S. GAAP generally does not allow it for external reporting?
Rations Analysis Financial Accounting All the calculations are done just need to analysis and compare.
Analysis
Use a selection of ten appropriate accounting ratios (you must choose the ratios) plus any other relevant data to evaluate the relative performance and financial status of the two companies.
Rations Analysis Financial Accounting
The comparison should be made from the viewpoints of the companies’ key stakeholders (management, investors and lenders). You may use ratios published within the annual reports plus ratios calculated yourself (the workings for which should be shown in an appendix). The comparison must be year on year for each company plus a comparison of both companies.
This part of the report must give evidence of your understanding of the interpretation of your chosen ratios and the data you are using. Keep the number of chosen ratios to a the suggested and manageable number – quality is more important than quantity.
Stock Performance Analysis Final Report The final report should be 10-12 pages (1.15 spacing) including the title page, table of contents, executive summary, introduction, findings and discussion, conclusions, recommendations, and references.
Stock Performance Analysis Final Report
Take the following steps to complete the progress and analytical reports:
A. Analyze the data in the weekly values table. Consider the following, in addition to other points of interest you may find:
What is the overall gain or loss of the portfolio and of the S&P/TSX Composite Index?
Which individual companies gained value? Which gained the most?
Which lost value? Which lost the most?
How and when did the S&P/TSX Composite change in value?
Did any dramatic changes in value occur in the stock or in the S&P/TSX Composite? If so, when?
Which weeks had the most gain and the most loss for the stocks and for the Composite Index?
B. Gather information on the S&O/TSX Composite Index so you can briefly explain what the index is to your client in your report. Remember that the TSX Composite is not a dollar value, but rather an index number that is helpful only when comparing it to the index number from previous time periods. Answer the following questions in a couple of paragraphs as you explain the Composite Index to your client in your letter report.
Stock Performance Analysis Final Report Writing Guideline
Be sure to provide appropriate citation and references.
What is the S&P/TSX Composite Index in general? What is its purpose?
When and why was it created?
How is the number determined? Is it a dollar value? Why not?
Who uses the S&P/TSX Composite Index, and why?
What does a comparison of the performance of the S&P/TSX Composite Index and the performance of specific stocks or portfolios of stocks show?
C. Create three graphics to support and reinforce the points you make in the report.
A table that shows the purchase and selling values and gain or loss of each stock and of the whole portfolio.
A multiple-line graph that compares the performance of the overall portfolio with the performance of the S&P/TSX Composite Index over the eight weeks Ms. Seacole has owned the stock. Because the portfolio value is a dollar amount and the S&P/TSX Composite Index is an index number, you cannot plot them directly in the same graph. You must convert both in some way so they can be legitimately compared. The most logical conversion is percentage of change so the reader can see the percentage of change each week compared to the first week and thus the overall gain or loss in value of the portfolio.
The formula for computing percentage of change is latter time period minus former time period divided by former time period: Week 2-Week 1 divided by Week 1. Be sure the decimals are correctly placed. For a legitimate comparison of the selling value with the purchase value, you should always use the purchase value as the “former” time period. That way, the comparison will show how much the stock went up or down since it was purchased. For example, for the third time period, the formula will be Week 3-Week 1 divided by Week 1.
One other graphic (not another table) that helps illustrate how the stock performed.
Label your graphics as Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3 and provide a complete, appropriate title for each graphic that introduces the reader to the specific content of the graphic Capitalize the titles correctly, and include the figure number as part of the title. The client’s name should appear in each graphic’s title.
D. Determine the stock in which Ms. Seacole should invest further using the data and graphics you prepared in the prewriting stage and using research on the effects on the stock market.
E., Write a draft of your report telling your client how her stock has performed, what this performance means for future investment, and what recommendations you have.
Support what you say with the graphics you created from the data you collected weekly and with references to articles that discuss the companies or industries in which Ms. Seacole holds stock. These sources should help explain possible influences on the value of the stock. You should use at least six sources in explaining the effects on the stock values.
Stock Performance Analysis Final Report Paper Format and Source Documentation
Be sure to document the source in your report in APA style.
Remember to do the following with the graphics you use in your report.
Insert the graphics in the report where appropriate to support what you are saying in the text. Be sure to refer to each graphic before it appears in the text.
If a graphic will not fit at the bottom of the page, put it at the top of the following page, and continue with text on the preceding page where the graphic would not fit.
In the report, when referring to the graphic and its content, avoid merely describing the overall content of the graphic. Point out two or three key pieces of information in the graphic or point out a conclusion that can be drawn from the content of the graphic.
E. Revise, edit, and format the report.
Revise the draft of the report. In revising, first the content. Should more be added in a section? Should some content be deleted? Check to see that the content is enough in each section to meet the purpose of the report—to let your client clearly understand how her stock performed and why you have made particular recommendations.
Follow the guidelines for formatting the report on the peer review sheet and rubric carefully. Ensure all citations and references are in APA 6th edition style.
How is Capital Budgeting Done at Jacobs Compute the NPV of the labor-intensive alternative and the capital-intensive alternative 2. How is capital budgeting done at Jacobs? Where do the projects come from?
How is Capital Budgeting Done at Jacobs
3. What are the discount rates used by Jacobs for 1) cost reduction, 2) new products, and 3) Reynolds. Is the use of multiple discount? 4. Evaluate the NPV versus Competitive Advantages of the proposed project. Should be project be selected? What if demand was raised above plant capacity?
Jacobs Division has no products with more than $5 million in sales revenue.
Meeting this type of demand is not a primary concern of the company.
Could use the capital-intensive approach later if necessary.
Evaluation of Mr. Reynolds
His research and due-diligence essentially make all of his projects risk-free.
MacFadden may get frustrated that he rejects so many potentially strong investments.
Prepare and Monitor Budgets of the Last Financial Year and the Profit and Loss Statement
The Resort had the following profit and loss statement.
Revenue $ $
Food 219,000
Beverage 73,000
Accommodation 434,000
726,000
Cost of Sales
Food 54,750 (25%)
Beverage 21,900 (30%)
Accommodation 86,800 (20%)
163,450
Gross Profit 562,550
Operating Expenses
Wages 181,500
Operating supplies 36,000
Administration 18,000
Advertising 36,000
Maintenance 20,000
Utilities 32,000
Depreciation 10,000
Interest 17,500 351,000
Net profit before tax 211,550
The net profit before tax represents 29.1% a very good result in today’s market place
Prepare and Monitor Budgets of the Last Financial Year
Due to changes in the general economic outlook it will be much harder next year to match this result.
Prepare and Monitor Budgets of the Last Financial Year and the Management Aspects
Management expects an increase in interest rates of 25% per quarter
Fall in patronage of 12%.
The guests they do get will be willing to spend more per head if the staff up sells successfully – management expects a 20% increase in both food and beverage average sales.
You are to draw up a budget for the following year that allows for a profit of 28% based on the above.
Room revenue is based on the following calculation,
The Resort has twelve rooms and over the course of the 365 days that make up a year they have an 83% occupancy
Each room is sold fot $120.00 These rooms are all twins
The Resort has to 7,270 guests a year and all food and beverage revenue comes from these guests
Staff wages represent 25% of total revenue and management decided that in order to ensure good service this percentage must remain the same.
It is necessary to show the assumptions you used in producing the new budget.
Calculate the impact of reduced income and therefore reduced COGS , and increased cost in B
A
Current Budget B
With cost increases
Revenue $ $
Food
Beverage
Accommodation
Toatal Revenue
Cost of Sales
Food
Beverage
Accommodation
Total COGS
Gross Profit
Operating Expenses
Wages
Operating supplies
Administration
Advertising
Maintenance
Utilities
Depreciation
Interest
Total Operating Expenses
Net profit before tax
Clearly explain the impacts of loss in Net profit and the reason for it , and explain how you would try to maintain a positive business to meet new requirements
Advanced Financial Accounting Solutions You are required to finish each of these questions, total 40 marks. Please give the solutions in detail, show calculations and submit the solutions to Moodle using a single file, it can be Excel format, Word format or PDF format, no requirement on word limits.
Advanced Financial Accounting Solutions
If any reference was used, please refer to Harvard style. Question 1 (10 marks), Question 2 (10 Marks), Question 3 (10 Marks), Question 4 (10 Marks).
1. As explained within the Chapter 8, intangible asset, Australian accounting standards now prohibit goodwill from being subject to amortization. Rather, there is a requirement that goodwill be subject to impairment testing. In relation to impairment testing of goodwill, Petersen and Plenborg (2010, p.420) state:
Many argue that an impairment test only approach seems a logical step in the development of accounting for goodwill. First, the underlying logic for removing the traditional amortization methodology is that the amortization on a straight-line basis over a number of years contains no information value for those using financial statements (Jennings et al., 2001). Moreover, IFRS 3 (IASB, 2004b) no longer requires that companies perform the almost impossible task of estimating the useful life of goodwill (Jansson et al. 2004). Second, the impairment approach should provide users of financial statements with better information, as goodwill is not automatically amortized (Colquitt and Wilson, 2002; Bens and Heltzer, 2005). Finally, goodwill impairment tests would be operational and capture a decline in the value of goodwill (Donnelly and Keys, 2002).
Advanced Financial Accounting Solutions Essay Requirements and Expectations
REQUIRED
You are to provide a clear argument as to why you agree or disagree with the perspectives provided in the paragraph above.
2. On 1 July 2015 Kruger Ltd privately issues $1 million in six-year debentures, which pay interest each six months at a coupon rate of 6 per cent per annum. At the time of issuing the securities, the market requires a rate of return of 4 per cent. Consistent with the requirements of AASB 9, the debentures are accounted for using the effective interest method.
REQUIRED
(a) Determine the fair value of the debentures at the time of issue (which will also be their issue price).
(b) Provide the journal entries at:
(i) 1 July 2015
(ii) 31 December 2015
(iii) 30 June 2016.
3. Sun City Limited commences construction of a multi-purpose water park on 1 July 2014 for Pretoria Limited. Sun City Limited signs a fixed-price contract for total revenues of $50 million. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017 and Pretoria Limited controls the asset throughout the period of construction. The expected cost as at the commencement of construction is $38 million. The estimated costs of a construction project might change throughout the project—in this example, they do change. The following data relates to the project (the financial years end on 30 June):2015 ($m) 2016 ($m) 2017($m)
Costs for the year 10 18 12
Costs incurred to date 10 28 40
Estimated costs to complete 28 12 –
Progress billings during the year 12 20 18
Cash collected during the year 11 19 20
REQUIRED
Using the above data, compute the gross profit to be recognised for each of the three years, assuming that the outcome of the contract can be reliably estimated. (b) Prepare the journal entries for the 2015 financial year using the percentage-of-completion method.
Prepare the journal entries for the 2015 financial year, assuming the stage of completion cannot be reliably assessed.
Anderson Pty Ltd is an Australian diversified industrial company with its major business activity being to manufacture flotation devices for babies and toddlers. Over the past decade, the business has been very profitable and the directors, Simon Anderson and Lisa Anderson, have kept payment of dividends to a minimum to allow the company to diversify into other activities. The following is a list of property, plant and equipment held by the company:
Investments in companies Carrying Value ($) Current fair value ($)
Property, plant and equipment
Factory (NSW)
Land 100 000 150 000
Buildings
– Cost 70 000 80 000
– Accumulated depreciation (20 000) –
Factory (Qld)
Land 150 000 120 000
Buildings
– Cost 125 000 70 000
– Accumulated depreciation (45 000) –
Mr Anderson informs you that the directors intend to revalue the property, plant and equipment during the year. The company has not revalued any assets in the past.
REQUIRED
(a) How would you account for the revaluation of the above assets?
(b) What would the relevant journal entries be?
