Question

The Campbell Company is considering adding a robotic paint sprayer to its production line. The sprayer's base price is $820,000, and it would cost another $17,500 to install it. The machine falls into the MACRS 3-year class, and it would be sold after 3 years for $604,000. The MACRS rates for the first three years are 0.3333, 0.4445, and 0.1481. The machine would require an increase in net working capital (inventory) of $15,500. The sprayer would not change revenues, but it is expected to save the firm $338,000 per year in before-tax operating costs, mainly labor. Campbell's marginal tax rate is 25%. (Ignore the half-year convention for the straight-line method.) Cash outflows, if any, should be indicated by a minus sign. Do not round intermediate calculations. Round your answers to the nearest dollar.

a. What is the Year 0 net cash flow?
b. What are the net operating cash flows in Years 1, 2, 3?
c. What is the additional Year 3- cash flow (i.e. after tax salvage and the return of working capital)?
d. If the project's cost of capital is 12%, should the machine be purchased?

Answer 1

a. What is the Year 0 net cash flow?

-$820,000 - $17,500 - $15,500 = -$853,000

b. What are the net operating cash flows in Years 1, 2, 3?

Operating cash flow year 1 = {[$338,000 - ($837,500 x 1/3)] x (1 - 25%)} + ($837,500 x 1/3) = $323,292

Operating cash flow year 2 = {[$338,000 - ($837,500 x 0.4445)] x (1 - 25%)} + ($837,500 x 0.4445) = $346,567

Operating cash flow year 3 = {[$338,000 - ($837,500 x 0.1481)] x (1 - 25%)} + ($837,500 x 0.1481) = $284,508

c. What is the additional Year 3- cash flow (i.e. after tax salvage and the return of working capital)?

= $62,031 + [($604,000 - $62,031) x 0.75] + $17,500 = $486,008

d. If the project's cost of capital is 12%, should the machine be purchased?

using a financial calculator, NPV = $260,373, so the project should be accepted