Question

The Campbell Company is considering adding a robotic paint sprayer to its production line. The sprayer's base price is $940,000, and it would cost another $25,000 to install it. The machine falls into the MACRS 3-year class, and it would be sold after 3 years for $624,000. 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 $19,000. The sprayer would not change revenues, but it is expected to save the firm $301,000 per year in before-tax operating costs, mainly labor. Campbell's marginal tax rate is 25%.

Required:
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. Year 0 Net Cash Flows = $984,000

b. We have:

Year 1 net operating cash flows = $306,159

Year 2 net operating cash flows = $332,986

Year 3 net operating cash flows = $261,479

c. Additional Year 3- cash flow = $504,877

d. The machine should be purchased.

Step-by-step explanation:

We start by first calculating the following:

Initial Investment = Base Price + Modification Cost = $940,000 + $25,000 = $965,000

Useful Life = 3 years

Depreciation in Year 1 = 0.3333 * $965,000 = $321,634.50

Depreciation in Year 2 = 0.4445 * $965,000 = $428,942.50

Depreciation in Year 3 = 0.1481 * $965,000 = $142,916.50

Book Value at the end of Year 3 = $965,000 - $321,634.50 - $428,942.50 - $142,916.50 = $71,506.50

After-tax Salvage Value = Salvage Value - (Salvage Value - Book Value) * Marginal tax rate = $624,000 – ($624,000 - $71,506.50) * 25% = $485,877

Initial Investment in NWC = $19,000

We can now proceed as follows:

a. What is the Year 0 net cash flow?

Year 0 Net Cash Flows = Initial Investment + Initial Investment in NWC = $965,000 + $19,000 = $984,000

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

Year 1 net operating cash flows = (Pretax Cost Saving * (1 - tax)) + (tax * Depreciation in year 1) = ($301,000 * (1 – 0.25)) + (0.25 * $321,634.50) = $306,159

Year 2 net operating cash flows = (Pretax Cost Saving * (1 - tax)) + (tax * Depreciation in year 2) = ($301,000 * (1 – 0.25)) + (0.25 * $428,942.50) = $332,986

Year 3 net operating cash flows = (Pretax Cost Saving * (1 - tax)) + (tax * Depreciation in year 3) = ($301,000 * (1 – 0.25)) + (0.25 * $142,916.50) = $261,479

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

Additional Year 3- cash flow = NWC recovered + After-tax Salvage Value = $19,000 + $485,877 = $504,877

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

This can be determined from the net present value (NPV) calculated as follows:

NPV = -$984,000 + ($306,159/1.12^1) + ($332,986/1.12^2) + ($261,479/1.12^3) + ($504,877/1.12^3) = $100,287.71

Since the NPV of the machine of $100,287.71 is positive, the machine should be purchased.