During a period of expansion in the economy compared to firms with lower operating expense levels, the earnings growth for firms with high operating leverage will be:
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If a high percentage of a firm's total costs are fixed, the firm is said to have high operating leverage. High operating leverage, other things held constant, means that a relatively small change in sales will result in a large change in operating income. Therefore, during an expansionary phase in the economy a highly leveraged firm will have higher earnings growth than a lesser leveraged firm. The opposite will happen during an economic contraction.
As financial leverage increases, what will be the impact on the expected rate of return and financial risk?
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A higher breakeven point resulting from increased interest costs associated with debt financing increases the risk of the company. Since the risk is tied to firm financing, it is referred to as financial risk. Given the positive risk-return relationship, the expected return of the company’s common stock also rises.
The management of Strings & All, Inc., a small, highly leveraged, electric guitar manufacturer, wants to reduce the company’s degree of total leverage (DTL) to 2.0. Currently, the company’s expected operating performance is as follows:
Sales of $500,000.
Variable Costs at 60% of sales.
Fixed Costs of $120,000.
Fixed-Interest Debt with annual interest payments of $25,000.
All else constant, to obtain a DTL of 2.0, management must:
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To obtain this result, we need to calculate the current variable costs, determine the variable costs that will result in a DTL ratio of 2.00, and calculate the percentage change. Step 1: Calculate current variable costs (VC): VC = 0.6 × 500,000 = 300,000 Step 2: Calculate Variable costs needed to decrease the DTL to 2.0: Rearranging the formula for DTL: (Sales ? Variable Costs) / (Sales ? Variable Costs ? Fixed Costs ? Interest Expense) results in: Variable Costs (VC) = Sales ? (2 × Fixed Costs) ? (2 × Interest Expense) = 500,000 ? (2 × 120,000) ? (2 × 25,000) = 210,000 Step 3: Calculate percentage change: DVC = (300,000 ? 210,000) / 300,000 = 0.30, or 30%.
Which of the following statements about leverage is most accurate?
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If debt = 0 then DFL = 1 because DFL = EBIT/(EBIT - I)
If debt = 0 then I = 0 and DFL = EBIT/(EBIT - 0) = EBIT/EBIT = 1
DTL = (DOL)(DFL)
If DFL = 1 then DTL = (DOL)(1) which complies to DTL = DOL
A decrease in interest expense will decrease DFL, which will decrease DTL. An increase in fixed costs will increase the company’s DOL.
The following information reflects the projected operating results for Opstalan, a catalog printer.
Opstalan’s degree of total leverage (DTL) is closest to:
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First, calculate the operating results: Opstalan Annual Operating Results Sales $5,000,000 Variable Costs1 2,000,000 3,000,000 Fixed Costs 1,000,000 EBIT 2,000,000 Interest Expense2 105,000 1,895,000 Second, calculate DOL = (Sales ? Variable Costs) / (Sales ? Variable Costs ? Fixed Costs) = 3,000,000 / 2,000,000 = 1.50 Third, calculate DFL = EBIT / (EBIT ? I) = 2,000,000 / 1,895,000 = 1.06. Finally, calculate DTL = DOL × DFL = 1.50 × 1.06 = 1.59.
1Variable costs = 0.40 × 5,000,000
2Interest Expense = 0.07 × 1,500,000
Stromburg Corporation's sales are $75,000,000. Fixed costs, including research and development, are $40,000,000, while variable costs amount to 30% of sales. Stromburg plans an expansion which will generate additional fixed costs of $15,000,000, decrease variable costs to 25% of sales, and permit sales to increase to $100,000,000. What is Stromburg's degree of operating leverage at the new projected sales level?
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Sales = $100,000,000 VC of 25% of sales = 25,000,000 FC of 40,000,000 + 15,000,000 = 55,000,000 DOL= [100,000,000 – 25,000,000] / [100,000,000 – 25,000,000 – 55,000,000] = 3.75
Given the following information on the annual operating results for ArtFrames, a producer of quality metal picture frames, what is the degree of operating leverage (DOL) and the degree of financial leverage (DFL)?
Which of the following choices is closest to the correct answer? ArtFrame’s DOL and DFL are:
DOL | DFL |
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The calculations are as follows: First, calculate the operating results: Second, calculate DOL: Third, calculate DFL:
ArtFrames Annual Operating Results
Sales
$3,500,000
Variable Costs1
1,575,000
1,925,000
Fixed Costs
1,050,000
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT)
875,000
Interest Expense2
67,500
807,500
1Variable costs = 0.45 × 3,500,000
2Interest Expense = 0.09 × 750,000 DOL = (Sales – Variable Costs) / (Sales – Variable Costs – Fixed Costs)
= (3,500,000 – 1,575,000) / (3,500,000 – 1,575,000 – 1,050,000) = 2.20
DFL = EBIT / (EBIT – I) = 875,000 / 807,500 = 1.08
Which of the following statements regarding leverage is most accurate?
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A firm with high operating leverage has a high percentage of its total costs in fixed costs.
A firm expects to produce 200,000 units of flour that can be sold for $3.00 per bag. The variable costs per unit are $2.00, the fixed costs are $75,000, and interest expense is $25,000. The degree of operating leverage (DOL) and the degree of total leverage (DTL) is closest to:
DOL | DTL |
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DOL = Q(P – V) / [Q(P – V) – F] DTL = [Q(P - V) / Q(P - V) - F - I]
DOL = 200,000 (3 – 2) / [200,000(3 – 2) – 75,000] = 1.6
DTL = 200,000 (3 - 2) / [200,000 (3 - 2) - 75,000 - 25,000] = 2
All else equal, which of the following statements about operating leverage is least accurate?
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Operating leverage is the trade off between fixed and variable costs. Higher operating leverage typically is indicative of a firm with higher levels of risk (greater income variance). Given the positive risk/return relationship, higher operating leverage firms are expected to have a higher rate of return. And, lower operating leverage firms are expected to have a lower rate of return.
Jayco, Inc. sells 10,000 units at a price of $5 per unit. Jayco's fixed costs are $8,000, interest expense is $2,000, variable costs are $3 per unit, and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) is $12,000. What is Jayco’s degree of financial leverage (DFL) and total leverage (DTL)?
DFL | DTL |
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DOL = [Q(P ? V)] / [Q(P ? V) ? F] = [10,000(5 ? 3)] / [10,000(5 ? 3) ? 8,000] = 1.67
DFL = EBIT / (EBIT ? I) = 12,000 / (12,000 ? 2,000) = 1.2 DTL = DOL × DFL = 1.67 × 1.2 = 2.0
Which of the following best describes a firm with low operating leverage? A large change in:
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Operating leverage is the result of a greater proportion of fixed costs compared to variable costs in a firm’s capital structure and is characterized by the sensitivity in operating income (earnings before interest and taxes) to change in sales. A firm that has equal changes in sales and operating income would have low operating leverage (the least it can be is one). Note that the relationship between operating income and net income is impacted by the degree of financial leverage, and the relationship between sales and net income is impacted by the degree of total leverage.
FCO, Inc. (FCO) is comparing EBIT forecasts to help determine the impact its capital structure has on net income.
Expected EBIT |
EBIT + 10% | |
EBIT |
$80,000 |
$88,000 |
Interest expense |
15,000 |
15,000 |
EBT |
65,000 |
73,000 |
Taxes |
26,000 |
29,200 |
Net income |
39,000 |
43,800 |
Liabilities |
200,000 |
Shareholder equity |
250,000 |
Return on equity |
15.60% |
FCO’s degree of financial leverage is closest to:
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The degree of financial leverage (DFL) is interpreted as the ratio of the percentage change in net income to the percentage change in EBIT. FCO can compare two EBIT forecasts to determine how net income is being driven by financial leverage.
If a 10% increase in sales causes EPS to increase from $1.00 to $1.50, and if the firm uses no debt, then what is its degree of operating leverage?
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Upon first glance, it appears there is not enough information to complete the problem. However when one realizes DTL = (DOL)(DFL) it is possible to complete this problem.
DTL = %?EPS/%?Sales = 5
DFL = EBIT/(EBIT-I) = 1.
(DOL)(1) =5
DOL= 5.
Which of the following events would decrease financial leverage?
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Acquiring assets by issuing stock decreases the degree of financial leverage since total assets are increased but total liabilities remain the same.
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