The Examiner's Answers for Financial Analysis SECTION A Answer to Question One 1.1 Non current assets are recorded at the spot rate at the date of transaction and not retranslated (500,000/0.741 = $674,764). Trade payables are restated at the closing rate as payables are a monetary item (500,000/0.753 = $664,011). Answer B 1.2 A number of the minor differences between a list of standards identified in the Roadmap have now been eliminated by the revision of existing standards or the development of new standards. These include a revised version of IFRS 3, Business Combinations, a revised IAS 23 Borrowing costs, a revised version of IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements incorporating the new agreed common wording. New standards developed jointly include IFRS 5 Non- current Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations and IFRS 8 Operating Segments. The requirement for entities which are listed in the US to prepare a reconciliation from IAS to US GAAP has now been dropped, significantly ahead of schedule. 1.3 $000 $000 Consideration transferred 3,000 Carrying value of net assets 2,650 PPE uplift 90 Receivable write down ($70K - $50K) (20) Contingent liability (30) 2,690 Group share 85% 2,286.5 Goodwill on acquisition 713.5 November 2009 1 Examiner s Answers P8
1.4 Pension plan assets $000 FV of plan assets at 1 June 2008 6,200 Contributions made 600 Expected return on assets 380 Benefits paid (450) Actuarial loss (balancing figure) (50) FV of plan assets at 31 May 2009 6,680 1.5 Post tax earnings $440,000 Weighted average number of shares in issue: 1 May 30 September 5 million x 5/12 months 2,083,333 1 October 30 April 7 million x 7/12 months 4,083,333 6,166,666 Basic earnings per share $440,000/6,166,666 7.1 cents per share 1.6 The comparison could be affected by the entities adopting different accounting policies for measurement of non-current assets, which would affect ROCE and asset turnover ratios. The entities could be different sizes and as a result one or more could be taking advantage of economies of scale. This could skew the profitability indicators and the efficiency ratios. The entities could be classifying revenue and expenses in different ways and this again would make comparison of profitability ratios and activity ratios difficult. The entities could be operating in different geographical markets and thus be affected by local economic factors in different ways. Examiner s Answers P8 2 November 2009
1.7 RHE LBC BCA $000 $000 $000 At 30 September 2009 6,200 4,260 5,100 Pre-acquisition retained earnings at 30 Sept 07 (2,900) (4,600) Group share of LBC 70% 952 Group share of BCA 56% 280 7,432 1,360 500 BCA was effectively acquired by the RHE group on 30 September 2007 when RHE acquired LBC. 1.8 The non-current assets of one entity could be nearing the end of their useful life and therefore be unrealistically low giving a higher non-current asset turnover figure. Alternatively, the noncurrent assets of one entity could have been revalued which would result in asset turnover being low but not necessarily because of low efficiency. November 2009 3 Examiner s Answers P8
SECTION B Some of the answers that follow in Section B and Section C are fuller and more comprehensive than would be expected from a well-prepared candidate. They have been written in this way to aid teaching, study and revision for tutors and candidates alike. Answer to Question Two Consolidated income statement for the PQ group for the year ended 30 June 2009 $000 Revenue $900,000 + (8/12 x $560,000) 1,273 Cost of sales $630,000 + (8/12 x $345,000) (860) Gross profit 413 Distribution costs $90,000 + (8/12 x $39,000) (116) Administrative expenses $60,000 + (8/12 x $30,000) + $36,000 (W1) + $2,000 (W2) (118) Profit from operations 179 Share of profit of associate (W3) 15 Profit before tax 194 Income tax expense $42,000 + (8/12 x $38,000) (67) Profit for the year 127 Attributable to: Equity holders of the parent 113 Minority interest (W4) 14 Working 1 Impairment of goodwill $000 Consideration 700 Share of net assets 80% x $650,000 (520) Goodwill on acquisition 180 Impairment 20% 36 Working 2 Fair value adjustment Fair value adjustment of $120,000/ (50-10 years) = $3,000 $3,000 x 8 months = $2,000 Working 3 Share of profit of associate $000 Profit after tax of AC 68 PURP (20% x 40K) (8) 60 Group share 25% 15 Examiner s Answers P8 4 November 2009
Working 4 Minority interest $000 Profit after tax 108 Fair value adjustment (3) 105 Profit for 8 months (105K x 8/12) 70 MI share 20% 14 November 2009 5 Examiner s Answers P8
Answer to Question Three (a) SX undertakes activities that ETH would have to do itself if SX did not exist. Ownership of the majority of equity shares normally presumes that the holder has control, as per IAS 27 Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements and IFRS 3 Business Combinations, unless there is evidence to the contrary. Furthermore, the director of SX does not have any voting rights and this reinforces ETH as having control. The agreement that exists between the two entities states that the operating and financial policies of SX are determined by ETH and therefore ETH controls SX. In addition, ETH uses that control to ensure that economic benefit flows from SX to ETH and guarantees any finance that SX has to raise. SX represents a special purpose entity and the substance of the relationship is that ETH controls SX and it should therefore consolidate it. The $200,000 is not a management charge but the cost of the investment in the subsidiary. (b) Functional currency should be determined by the rules within IAS 21 The Effects of Changes in Foreign Exchange Rates. It cannot be selected. The functional currency should be the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates. In determining its functional currency, ZAB should consider the guidelines set down by IAS 21 : The currency that principally influences selling prices for goods and services; The currency that influences labour, material and other costs; Which country s competitive forces and regulations principally determine the selling prices of the goods and services; In which currency funds for financing are generated; and If the foreign enterprise operates autonomously or as an extension of the parent. In the case of ZAB, the materials are purchased in dollars but it is landers that influence other expenses, sales and labour costs. ZAB also operates with autonomy and arranges its own finance. Therefore the functional currency of ZAB is landers not dollars. Examiner s Answers P8 6 November 2009
Answer to Question Four Purchase of Held for Trading Investment The held for trading investment should be classified as an asset held at fair value through profit or loss. It is initially measured at fair value, in this case the cost of $1.75 million (500,000 shares x $3.50). The transaction costs should not be included in the cost of the investment and should be written off to the income statement as a period cost. The investment is subsequently measured (at 30 June 2009) at fair value of $1.825 million (500,000 shares x $3.65). The following adjustments are therefore required: Dr Administrative expenses $15,000 Cr HFT Investment $15,000 Being the correction in respect of transaction costs Dr HFT Investment $75,000 Cr Gain on investment (P/L) $75,000 Being the gain on the investment being credited to the income statement Purchase of a bond The bond purchased by DG should be classified as a held to maturity investment as DG intends to hold it to redemption. It is initially recorded at the net cost of $4.5 million and then subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate. Only the interest received of $250,000 (5% x face value of $5 million) has been recorded in the income statement. The following adjustment is therefore required: Dr HTM Asset $211,700 Cr Investment income $211,700 Being the additional investment income to be recognised in profit or loss Working Opening balance 10.26% effective rate Coupon interest Closing balance $000 $000 $000 $000 4,500 461.7 (250) 4,711.7 The investment will be held at $4.71 million and a further $211,700 ($461,700 - $250,000) will be credited to the income statement. November 2009 7 Examiner s Answers P8
SECTION C Answer to Question Five (a) Report to Subject RG Group financials 30 June 2009 Profitability Revenue has remained static over the last 12 months and yet distribution costs and admin expenses have increased significantly. The cost incurred in setting up the new distribution channels and the employment and training of the new sales team, however would be expected to increase revenue in the forthcoming period as activity has just recently started in these areas this can be seen by the fact that June 2009 orders are higher than expected. A positive point is that there is a slight increase in gross profit margin from 25.3% to 26.7%, it will be important that this is maintained in new market sales. Administrative expenses have increased significantly since last year from $22m to $37m while revenue has remained constant. Although some of this may be related to the setting up of new sales channels, the increase is masked slightly by the gain on the sale of the available for sale investment of $4m which has been netted off the expenses. Removing this would result in administrative expenses increasing from $22m to $41m in the year, which indicates a lack of management control over costs. This is a major contributor to the fall in net profit from 10.6% to 7.8%. In addition, the 2009 profit for the period includes the share of profit of associate of $5m, without the associate the profit percentage for 2009 falls to just 6.9%. It is imperative that the management now turn their attention to the control of costs to ensure that the expansion in markets brings appropriate net returns. On a more positive note the management appear to be making good investment decisions in respect of both the financial assets that they have sold and those that they have retained (with gains taken to equity in the period of $6m). The investment in the associate has also brought $5m which has helped the bottom line profit. We do not know when during the year the associate was acquired therefore it is possible that the associate s return could be even greater next year. Finance costs have been kept to a minimum and interest cover is more than adequate at this time. Efficiency The return on capital employed has fallen and is generally at quite a low level. This may be due to the fact that significant investment was made in 2008 and the revenues of this investment have not yet been earned. This return would be expected to increase in the next period. Payables days have remained relatively constant, however the receivables days have increased from 48 days to 69 days which again is an indication that management need to tighten up control. The cash balance has dropped significantly due to the payment of the dividend and the repayment of the loan and so it is essential that receivables days are reduced to boost the cash balance and prevent the company having to go into overdraft. In addition, with the new markets being targeted, RG may have to offer incentives to new Examiner s Answers P8 8 November 2009
customers and so tight control of existing accounts and control of all new receivables should be a priority going forward. Inventory days have increased from 70 days to 115 days. Since revenue has remained steady, this looks like RG is preparing to meet the orders from the new markets. This would be expected to return to a steady level once the level of regular orders is established. The current ratio has decreased slightly but it still provides adequate cover for current liabilities, however since inventories have increased the quick ratio will provide a more accurate picture. The quick ratio has fallen from 2.1 to 1.14. This is due to the increase in receivables and the fall in the cash balance due to the payment of the dividend and the repayment of the loan. Financial position The gearing ratio is low and has in fact fallen from 43% to 30% due to the repayment of part of the loan and the share issue in the period. It appears that the low returns are temporary and that the investments made in an effort to increase market share are likely to bring future benefits. Although RG needs to regain tighter control of receivables and expenses, the management appear to have made good decisions on investments and have shown good management of working capital up to now. The finance providers clearly believe RG to be low risk as the long term borrowings carry an interest rate of less than 4%. The shareholders have continued to support the entity via the share issue in the period and appear to have been compensated for the lack of growth by the receipt of a dividend, even though it is not covered by the earnings. It looks like prospects are good for RG. Appendix I Ratio calculations 2009 2008 Gross profit $154m/$576m = 26.7% $145m/$573m = 25.3% Net profit $45m/$576m = 7.8% $61m/$573m = 10.6% Net profit without associate $40m/$576m = 6.9% ROCE $(154-56-37)m/$669m = 9.1% $(145-40-22)m/$680m = 12.2% Receivables days $109m/$576m x 365 days = 69 days $76m/$573m x 365 days = 48 days Payables days $91m/$422m x 365 days = 79 days $87m/$428m x 365 days = 74 days November 2009 9 Examiner s Answers P8
Inventory days $133m/$422m x 365 days = 115 days $82m/$428m x 365 days = 70 days Current ratio $254m/$106m = 2.4 : 1 $295/$101m = 2.9 : 1 Quick ratio $121m/$106m = 1.14 : 1 $213m/$101m = 2.1 : 1 Gearing $154m/$515m x 100 = 30% $205m/$475m x 100 = 43% Interest cover $(154-56-37)m/$6m = 10 times $(145 40 22)m/$8m = 10 times (b) Segmental information would allow us to analyse the performance of each identifiable part of the business, especially useful if one particular segment is underperforming, which would not be evident from the consolidated financial statements. In the case of RG this could be the motivation for chasing new market share through the new distribution lines and may be illustrated by segmental analysis. Further breakdown of results would also help to monitor how successful the expansion is for the segment in the next period. Segmental analysis is more useful for assessing performance but less so for the analysis of capital structure and the utilisation of cash which tend to be affected by entity wide decisions rather than those taken by individual segments. Examiner s Answers P8 10 November 2009
Answer to Question Six (a) LKL group Consolidated cash flow statement for the year ended 31 March 2009 $m $m Cash flows from operating activities Profit before tax 99 Adjustments for non-cash/non-operating items: Impairment of goodwill (W1) 25 Amortisation of intangible asset (W6) 30 Depreciation (W5) 130 FOREX gain included in admin expenses (5) Share of profit of associate (50) Finance costs 140 Working capital changes: Decrease in inventories (W2) 20 Decrease in receivables (W2) 20 Increase in payables (W2) 10 Cash generated from operations 419 Interest paid (W3) (146) Taxation paid (W4) (4) Net cash from operations 269 Cash flows from investing activities Purchase of non-current assets (W5) (62) Purchase of intangibles (W6) (75) Purchase of subsidiary ($60m - $20m) (40) Dividend received from associate (W7) 10 Net cash used in investing activities (167) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from share issue (W8) 80 Payment of long term borrowings (W9) (160) Dividend paid to minority interest (W10) (6) Net cash used in financing activities (86) Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 16 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 36 Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 52 November 2009 11 Examiner s Answers P8
Workings 1. Goodwill impairment $m Opening balance 75 Plus goodwill on acq n ((100m x $1.50) + $60m) (80% x $190m) 58 Less impairment (balancing figure) (25) Closing balance 108 2. WC Changes Inventories Receivables Payables $m $m $m Opening balance 280 310 190 On acquisition 60 70 30 340 380 220 Closing balance 320 360 230 Decrease in inventories 20 Decrease in receivables 20 Increase in payables 10 3. Interest paid $m Finance costs per income statement 140 Add back gain realised on HFT investment offset against finance costs 6 Interest paid 146 4. Taxation paid $m Opening balance (current tax $32m plus deferred tax $70)) 102 Plus charge to income statement 20 122 Tax paid (balancing figure) (4) Closing balance ($40m + $78m) 118 5. Purchase of property, plant and equipment $m Opening balance 840 Plus on acquisition 70 Less depreciation (130) 780 Purchases in the year (balancing figure) 67 Closing balance 847 Examiner s Answers P8 12 November 2009
Purchases in the year 67 Less FOREX gain (5) Purchases for cash 62 6. Purchase of intangible assets $m Opening balance 60 Amortised in year (30) 30 Purchased in the year 75 Closing balance 105 7. Dividend received from associate $m Opening balance 200 Plus share of profit of associate 50 Dividend received (balancing figure) (10) Closing balance 240 8. Proceeds from share issue $m Opening balance (share capital $300m + share premium $200m) 500 Plus issue on acquisition (no cash proceeds) 150 650 Cash proceeds from share issue (balancing figure) 80 Closing balance ($450m + $280m) 730 9. Repayment of long term borrowings $m Opening balance 540 Repayment (balancing figure) (160) Closing balance 380 10. Dividend paid to minority interest $m Opening balance 120 On acquisition (20% x $190m) 38 Plus profit for period attributable to MI 12 170 Dividend paid to MI (balancing figure) (6) Closing balance 164 November 2009 13 Examiner s Answers P8
Answer to Question Seven (a) Preliminary report to Board Subject: Potential acquisition of CAD Profitability The gross margin achieved by CAD has dropped significantly from 21% last year to 14.5% (see appendix 1 for ratios). This is likely to be due to the cost of the new technology and the bonus paid to the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO). Sales are up 22% and indications are that future periods will see further revenue increases due to the development of the new technology. The main challenge for CAD will be staying in business long enough to take advantage of these further revenues. We would have to consider if these future contracts might be compromised if we were to acquire CAD, as they may be with our competitors. The net profit is down slightly from 3.5% to 2.5% due mainly to the finance costs incurred in 2009. The net profit fall is less than that of gross profit and indicates that other costs and expenses have been well controlled. Efficiency The receivables days are crippling the flow of cash in the business. The recovery of amounts due has risen from 60 days to 92 days. CAD s main challenge is dealing with large customers with a significant outstanding balance and may not have the credit control resources to manage these accounts or are not in a position to successfully negotiate because of size and relative dependency. If, however, BCA was to takeover CAD and implemented stricter credit control procedures then this could be eradicated. Cutting this back to 60 days would release more than $300,000 and would remove the need to rely on expensive short term funding. The interest paid in 2009 is at approximately 10%. That is likely to be because CAD cannot offer the bank substantial amounts of tangible non-current assets on which security can be taken. This is likely to be less of an issue for BCA as we are an established multinational and would be able to secure funding at more competitive rates if required. In addition, it is likely that CAD is unable to successfully negotiate with its customers for early payment as the contracts are all with large established companies, however again that may not be an issue if contracts were negotiated by BCA. Payables looks high, however the payables days has stayed relatively static in the 60s and suppliers have continued to supply as inventories have increased so the delay in settlement seems not to be a problem. BCA may choose to reduce the payables level to avoid any negative impact on its credit rating. Potential target entity CAD appears to be a sound investment provided the future services of the CSO can be secured. CAD shareholders are willing to surrender control if the company s future and their own is secure. The business is profitable and future prospects look positive. The contracts that CAD has are with established companies and there appears to be an order book to provide future services for the next couple of years at least. The issues of funding and debt collection are likely to be able to be solved by BCA. The key personnel member appears to have been well tied into the business and so the current management team clearly know what is vital to the survival of their business. Examiner s Answers P8 14 November 2009
(b) (i) It has been recognised that financial statements report historical events and transactions and are generally backward looking. They are therefore often of limited use to users that are focussed on the entity s future prospects and potential results. It is generally agreed that the relevance of financial information would be improved if some information about the entity s future objectives and challenges and the strategies in place to overcome those challenges was included. Information on the dynamics and risks of the entity would also be useful eg reliance on key personnel or development of technology. However this information cannot be audited and therefore lacks reliability which is a key qualitative characteristic of financial statements. This has led to the growth in narrative reporting in corporate reports. The entity should give a balanced report on the activities and performance of the period and expected performance for the immediate future and in turn shareholders must recognise that this information does not have the added comfort of an audit opinion. (ii) An OFR type report would be helpful to potential investors in CAD as the financial statements do not provide the information that is key to this type of high-tech industry. The low levels of tangible non-current asset make it pointless to calculate traditional ratios like return on capital employed and so comparisons with other potential investments are restricted. It also makes it hard for these entities to raise external finance as there are few assets available as security. This is an example of where the value of the business lies in the intellectual property within the entity through the patents and the know-how and technical expertise of the staff. However the key elements in the future viability of the entity lie in the patents and key personnel and the contracts much of which is absent from the historical financial statements. A management commentary on these areas would be invaluable to investors and other lenders as it would help them understand the underlying business. The relationships with the CSO would also be discussed under the risks and relationships section as losing the technical developer would have a significant effect on the long term prospects of the entity. The high receivables would also be explained and would enable the entity to explain the details of arrangements as some readers would assume, in the absence of any information to the contrary, that it is as a result of poor credit control. A narrative report would give the management the opportunity to explain the dynamics of the business and the investment in future technological improvements that are not evident from the numerical information presented in the financial statements. November 2009 15 Examiner s Answers P8
Appendix 1 Ratios Receivables days $1,091K/$4,330K x 365 days = 92 days Payables days $687K/$3,702K x 365 days = 68 days Finance costs approximate rate $13K/$123K = 10.6% Gross profit $628K/$4,330K x 100 = 14.5% $587K/$3,562K x 365 days = 60 days $485K/$2,810K x 365 days = 63 days $752K/$3,562K x 100 = 21% Net profit $108K/$4,330K x 100 = 2.5% $125/$3,562K x 100 = 3.5% Examiner s Answers P8 16 November 2009
The Examiner for Integrated Management offers to future candidates and to lecturers using this booklet for study purposes, the following background and guidance on the questions included in this examination paper. Section A Question One Compulsory 1.1 MCQ question that tested translation rules of IAS 21 that tested learning outcome A(x). 1.2 Short question requiring explanation of progress made on convergence project testing learning outcome D(vi). 1.3 Short question requiring the calculation of goodwill arising on a stepped acquisition, testing learning outcome A(v). 1.4 Short question requiring the calculation of an actuarial loss for a defined benefit plan, testing learning outcome B(vi). 1.5 Short question requiring the calculation of basic earnings per share incorporating a share issue during the year testing learning outcome C(i). 1.6 Short question requiring discussion of limitations of ratio analysis testing learning outcome C(iv). 1.7 Short question requiring the calculation of group retained earnings for a vertical group testing learning outcome A(v). 1.8 Short question testing the limitations of ratios testing learning outcome C(iv). Section B Compulsory Question Two required preparation of a summarised consolidated income statement for the entity concerned. This tested learning outcomes A (iii), (v) & (vi). Question Three part (a) required explanation of the treatment of a special purpose entity, including the identification of the issue of control and justification based on the scenario provided in the question. This tested learning outcome A(i) and B(iii). Part (b) required candidates to identify, again from the scenario provided whether a foreign subsidiary should adopt the domestic currency or its parent s currency as its functional currency, which tested learning outcome A(x). Question Four required candidates to explain the relevant classification, initial and subsequent measurement of two financial instruments and where necessary identify incorrect accounting treatment and correcting entries. This tested learning outcome B(v). Section C Answer two from three questions Question Five part (a) required calculation of relevant ratios in the context of a business scenario that included pre-year end investment and process of expansion. Common issues of reduced profitability and pressure on working capital were central to the analysis. Part (b) required a brief discussion on the usefulness of segmental reporting. This tested learning outcomes C (i), (ii) & (v). Question Six required the preparation of a group cash flow statement incorporating the acquisition of a subsidiary in the year, and cash flows from associates and to minority interest. This tested learning outcomes A (iii), (iv), (v) and (vi). Question Seven part (a) (required the identification and calculation of relevant ratios suitable for an entity that relied mainly on intellectual property and had few tangible assets recorded. The key areas included the reliance on key personnel, the issues faced by entities where their assets are not represented on the balance sheet and the impact that has on its ability to raise finance and prepare traditional financial analysis. Part (b) required discussion on how corporate reporting may be extended and what the drivers for this are. This question tested learning outcomes C (i) and (ii) and D (i), (ii) and (iv) November 2009 17 Examiner s Answers P8