Reference no: EM132221351

FINANCE ASSIGNMENT -

The case study -

1. Michael Hill International Limited (hereafter known as "Michael Hill") ordinary shares are listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). Michael Hill owns and operates approximately 300 retail jewellery stores across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. According to the ASX announcement made by Michael Hill on Date: 27/08/18 and Headline: Investor Presentation, part of Michael Hill's planned capital expenditure of $25 million is to open new stores. Michael Hill has already performed a substantial amount of data analysis related to one particular planned new store in the southern Sydney suburb of Engadine. However, the capital expenditure associated with the construction of a new store and the operating expenses are substantial. Therefore, before Michael Hill commits to building the new store a financial analysis is needed to determine if it will contribute to the goal of creating wealth for its shareholders.

2. You are employed in Michael Hill's corporate finance department and have impressed senior management with your aptitude for financial analysis. This talent was developed through the practice-oriented assignments that you completed at University. You recall how exciting it was learning about listed companies by searching and reading announcements made to the ASX. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) has asked you to perform a financial analysis of the planned Engadine store using a purpose-built preformatted EXCEL spreadsheet. The CFO has suggested you liaise with company employees from a variety of different departments to collect the information that is necessary to perform the analysis. You will also search through public documents to identify some of the assumptions that will be required in your financial analysis, and certain additional information. Your analysis will be provided to the Board of Directors who must approve substantial capital expenditures.

3. The two major cash outflows associated with a new store are the cost of the building and the fixtures and fittings such as specialised jewellers' equipment and display cabinets. The directors are accountable to the shareholders and so a financial analysis is necessary to be confident that the investment in the new Engadine store is justified. The following paragraphs contain a substantial amount of information that has been gathered from across the business and it is your job to determine which information is relevant to the analysis.

4. The capital cost of the Engadine building is expected to be $2.3 million today. Michael Hill has $7.2 million cash and it plans to use $1.6 million of this amount to pay for the building which will reduce the cost to just $700,000. If the new store is built, some redundant jewellery equipment must be sold. The equipment had a total capital cost in 2016 of $600,000 and for tax purposes have a ten-year life. The equipment can be sold today for $130,000 and Michael Hill will use the sale proceeds to distribute a $130,000 dividend to its shareholders today.

5. According to the Investor Presentation Michael Hill recently completed a comprehensive brand review to respond to a changing consumer landscape. This review cost $375,000 and there is debate among management about whether the cost of this review should be classified as a tax-deductible expense in the financial analysis.

6. The annual sales for a new store are difficult to predict. However, Michael Hill is confident that the Engadine store can achieve sales in the first year of operation that are similar to an 'average' Michael Hill Australian store. You read the Investor Presentation to identify the following two figures relevant to MICHAEL HILL AUSTRALIA for the year ending Jun-18:

a) Revenue

b) Total stores open

You use these two figures to calculate an average revenue figure per store for 2018.

7. Since Michael Hill plans to build the new store in the year 2019, for capital budgeting purposes the first year of revenue is expected in 2020. However, the retail environment is very challenging as evidenced by the disappointing Australian same-store sales growth rate stated in the Investor Presentation. Therefore, you forecast that the Engadine store's revenue in 2020 is equal to the average revenue figure per store for 2018 that you calculated in Paragraph 6 compounded by the same-store sales growth rate. Beyond 2020 revenue is forecast to increase by 2% p.a. reflecting the benefits of the brand review.

8. The Investor Presentation states the business has gross profit margins of approximately 63%. Therefore, your analysis assumes that costs of goods sold at the Engadine store are 37% of revenue. Fixed costs at the Engadine store in 2020 are $240,000. Management is confident that with rigorous cost control they will be able to contain the increase in fixed costs to 2% p.a. for each subsequent year. If the Engadine store is built, Michael Hill anticipates that total cash operating expenses will equal 26% of sales.

9. Starting in 2020, employees at the Engadine store will receive annual training. Michael Hill performs all training in-house using a dedicated facility that was established in 2017. The facility has an annual budget of $655,000 and inducts new employees in all aspects of the jewellery business. Ordinarily, Michael Hill would charge an arms-length amount of $75,000 per annum for staff training. However, the training division has sufficient spare capacity to train the Engadine store's employees without the facility incurring any additional costs. The accounts department recommends internally invoicing the $75,000 training expense to the Engadine store each year.

10. For taxation purposes the new building has a twenty-year life. However, Michael Hill will perform the financial analysis of the Engadine store over a ten-year period. The new store requires $300,000 of display cabinets. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) confirms that display cabinets have an eight-year tax life. In Michael Hill's experience, display cabinets be operated effectively for a full ten years before they need replacing. Michael Hill's management accountants depreciate all assets over an operational six-year life.

11. Michael Hill's Research & Development department has spent $130,000 in recent years developing a wedding ring sizing app. This project is still several years away from full-scale release but to ensure this expense generates the required returns the directors want to include it in the analysis of the Engadine store as a cash outflow in 2019.

12. Michael Hill will borrow $1.2 million today to finance the Engadine store. The ten-year interest-only loan has annual interest repayments of $48,000 (assuming a 4% p.a. rate). Michael Hill's accountant confirms that interest payments are classified as a business expense and are therefore tax deductible.

13. To promote the new Engadine store the marketing department has budgeted $85,000 of advertising for the store's opening in 2020. Because this expense will reduce the new store's profitability in 2020, managers have suggested that the advertising expense be spread out over the new store's ten-year useful life. The ATO states that expenses associated with the Engadine store's grand opening can be claimed as a business expense in the year incurred. Michael Hill's total advertising budget for 2020 is $3.4 million and predicted to increase by $200,000 each year. If the Engadine store opens, the annual advertising budget will remain unchanged. For cost accounting purposes Michael Hill must allocate overheads across each business unit. Therefore, it is proposed that the Engadine store be assigned a fraction of 1/171 of the total advertising budget.

14. Michael Hill assumes that the Engadine building can be sold for $400,000 in the year 2029. At any point in time the resale value of the display cabinets is just $26,000. In ten years' time Michael Hill assumes that it will have cash holdings of $4.4 million. You note the ATO regulation that all non-current assets be depreciated to zero.

15. If the Engadine store proceeds, then Michael Hill will implement a private placement to raise $800,000 from institutional investors to fund the store. The CEO's annual salary in 2018 is $1,511,738 and is not expected to change whether the Engadine store opens or not.

16. If the directors approve the Engadine store Michael Hill anticipates that it will require an additional $400,000 of inventory today on top of the existing level of $1.5 million, and accounts payable will increase by $270,000. The accounts receivable balance will increase from the current level of $5.4 million to $6.2 million if the Engadine store proceeds.

17. Michael Hill has a required rate of return of 9%. Assume the company tax rate will remain at 30%.

REQUIREMENTS (THE QUESTIONS) -

Your team must answer the following questions. All answers must be entered into the preformatted EXCEL spreadsheet available online. Questions 1 to 4 require information relating to the capital budgeting decision of the proposed Engadine store. Questions 5 to 8 require you to gather some additional information regarding Michael Hill shares.

Capital Budgeting Information

Present an itemised breakdown (and the total) for each of the following:

1. The cash flows at the start.

2. The cash flows over the life.

3. The cash flows at the end.

4. What is the NPV of the proposed Engadine store, and your recommendation?

Additional Information

5. What is the percentage return on Michael Hill shares for the year 2018? You will need to perform some research and obtain the share price on 02/01/2018 and 31/12/2018. You also must include all dividends paid in 2018 in your calculation.

6. What is the main explanation for the share price performance in 2018?

7. Analysts forecast that Michael Hill's dividends in 2019, 2020 and 2021 will be the same amount as the dividends paid in 2018. After 2021 dividends will increase by 2% p.a. What is a fair price for a Michael Hill share in 2019?

8. According to the Investor Presentation, what is one strategy that Michael Hill has planned for its cash flow?

Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar