Final answer:
Factors affecting the expected COGS for Q4 include changes in the cost of inputs, government decisions, new technologies, natural disasters, and the number of sellers. These factors can raise or lower production costs, impacting the COGS figure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The factors that would affect the expected cost of goods sold (COGS) for Quarter 4 include: changes in the cost of inputs, impact of government decisions, and the effect of new technologies.
- Changes in the cost of inputs can directly affect the production costs. If input costs increase, such as raw materials or labor, this would raise COGS.
- Impact of government decisions, like tariff changes or new regulations, can also affect production costs either positively or negatively, thus altering COGS.
- New technologies might reduce production costs through increased efficiency, potentially lowering COGS.
Other factors include natural disasters that could disrupt supply chains, increasing costs, and the number of sellers in the market which can influence overall market supply levels and production costs.