Reference no: EM132571138

Background on Automaton, Inc.

Automaton, Incorporated (Automaton) is a small, U.S. publicly-traded software company that manufactures quantum micro-processors used in the production of Artificial Intelligence-enabled (AI) computational devices. Over 90 percent of Automaton's revenues are derived from one product: AI CalcPro IV, which is used exclusively in scientific calculators. Automation experienced double-digit revenue growth in the ten years since it was founded in 2005. In recent years, however, its revenue growth rate has averaged eight percentage points. The future is looking even less profitable: Wall Street analysts estimate Automaton's revenue growth rate will decline to five percent, on average, over the next five years, and one percent thereafter. Furthermore, analysts' consensus 12-month price target for Automaton is $105, down from its most recent price of $159.82

Fierce competition, including from foreign companies, is behind the decline in Automaton's revenues. In particular, competition from U.K-based AI-CHIP, which was founded less than five years ago by Automaton's ex-Chief Scientist, Alfred Mathias Nzewi. AI-CHIP uses a more efficient manufacturing process to develop AI-enabled micro-processors that perform as well as Automaton's, but cost about 20 percent less. Automaton's market share in the AI-enabled micro-processor industry has declined from over 90 percent in 2010 to a little under 35 percentage points in 2018.

DEFCON V Alert: Increased Competition Threatens Automaton's Business

At a recent management meeting, Automaton's CEO, Sara Hwang, spoke of the need to innovate, reduce costs, and improve profitability. Specifically, she encouraged the senior management team to "think outside the box" in considering projects Automaton could undertake to stem its revenue declines and loss of market share. She said emphatically "...notwithstanding Automation's hard capital constraints, I am willing to spend millions of dollars to increase our profitability." Following the meeting, the general feeling among Automaton's senior managers was: if we do not make significant changes to bolster our operations, Automaton may go out of business within the next few years.

In the following days, Automaton's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO) each proposed two projects: (1) an expansion project, and (2) a cost reduction project.

Incoming Kofi Johnson, MBA, CFA

Kofi Johnson was recently hired by Automation to evaluate the two projects identified by Automaton's senior managers. He intends to assess both projects using a combination of Payback Period, Net Present Value (NPV), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR). He makes the following mental note: "Payback Period accounts for Time Value of Money but does not consider cash-flows that occur after the initial cash outlay is recouped. Therefore, it is useless as a project evaluation tool." In addition, as senior management is willing to fund multiple value-added projects, Kofi makes a second mental note: "Ms. Hwang mentioned that Automaton has "hard capital constraints." Therefore, if both projects have a positive NPV, I will recommend that we accept the one with the highest IRR"

Automaton's Weighted Average Cost of Capital

Kofi's manager, Marilyn-Jo Peters, advises him to begin his analysis by first computing Automaton's Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC). To answer, she gives Kofi an exhibit with formulas and the data needed to compute Automaton's WACC. Kofi makes a third mental note: "If a company has no debt and is, thus, 100 percent equity financed, its WACC (i.e., cost of capital) must be equal to its Cost of Equity."

Project 1: Expanding Existing Capabilities

The first project is to increase Automaton's manufacturing capacity for five years. Automaton's Chief Financial Officer, Patrick McCabe believes doing this would boost Automaton's market share in the long run.

To facilitate this temporary expansion, Automation will purchase new equipment for $1,500,000. The additional micro-processors will be manufactured in a building Automaton purchased eight years ago for $4,200,000. The building will be retooled for the new project at a cost of $500,000, which includes building permit fees of $25,000.[1]

The purchased equipment will be depreciated using Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) depreciation schedule (see exhibits), and sold for $250,000 in year 5.

The projected revenue for year 1 is $550,000. Subsequent year's revenues will increase by eight percent of the preceding year's revenues (i.e., year 2 revenues equal 1.08 * $550,000, and so on). This expansion project will result in an annual loss of revenues from an existing manufacturing operation of $100,000. Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) is estimated at 20 percent of net revenues.

Operating net working capital will rise by $250,000 and $300,000 in years 1 and 2, respectively. This investment in operating net working capital fully reverses in the final year of the project. Annual interest expense is fixed at $35,000.

Questions on Project 1

Question 1. Is Kofi's first mental note accurate? Discuss briefly.

Question 2. Is Kofi's second mental note accurate? Discuss briefly.

Question 3. Is Kofi's third mental note accurate? Discuss briefly.

Question 4. What is Automaton's cost of capital?

Question 5. What is the project's net income for years 1 through 5?

Question 6. What is the project's initial cash outlay in year 0?

Question 7. What is the project's Free Cash Flows (FCF) for years 1 through 5?

Question 8. What is the NPV and IRR of this project?

Question 9. Kofi is concerned that the estimated cost of capital for Automaton is too high. He adjusts Automaton's Beta (β) and computes a new cost of capital of 5 percent. Using this discount rate, what is the project's NPV and IRR?