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IMANET Exam CMA Topic 6 Question 86 Discussion

Actual exam question for IMANET's Certified Management Accountant exam
Question #: 86
Topic #: 6
[All Certified Management Accountant Questions]

Union Electric Company must clean up the water released from its generating plant. The company's cost of capital is 12 percent for average risk projects, and that rate is normally adjusted up or down by 2 percentage points for high- and low- risk projects. Clean-Up Plan A . which is of average risk, has an initial cost of $10 million, and its operating cost will be $1 million per year for its 10-year life. Plan B, which is a high-risk project, has an initial cost of $5 million, and its annual operating cost over Years 1 to 10 will be $2 million. What is the approximate PV of costs for the better project?

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Suggested Answer: B

The cash flows of Plan A are discounted at 12%, the company's cost of capital for average risk projects. Plan B is evaluated with a lower cost of capital that reflects a greater risk of the cash outflow of the project. Thus, the cash flows of Plan B are discounted at 10% (12% --- 2%). the company's adjusted cost of capital for high risk projects. The net present value of each plan is the initial cost plus the present value of an annuity for 10 years at the appropriate rate multiplied times the annual operating cost.

The present value factors are found in the tools section of CMA Test Prep.

Plan A NPV = $10,000,000 + ($1,000,000 x 5.650)

Plan A NPV = $15,650,000

Plan B NPV = $5,000,000 + ($2,000,000 x 6.145)

Plan B NPV = $17,290,000

Plan A has a lower NPV and thus is the better project.


Contribute your Thoughts:

Kenneth
4 months ago
I think A is better at around $15,432,000. Option A.
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Catarina
4 months ago
Operating cost differences are crucial. A has $1M/year, B has $2M/year.
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Aleta
4 months ago
For Plan B, high risk. Cost of capital is 14%.
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Kenneth
5 months ago
Plan A has average risk, so cost of capital is 12%.
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Elenora
5 months ago
We need to find the PV of costs for Plan A and B.
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Catarina
5 months ago
This question seems complicated. Anyone has ideas?
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