Accounting for equity investments

Suppose that on January 6, 2018, East Coast Motors paid \(280,000,000 for its 35% investment in Boxcar Motors. East Coast has significant influence over Boxcar after the purchase. Assume Boxcar earned net income of \)90,000,000 and paid cash dividends of $45,000,000 to all outstanding stockholders during 2018. (Assume all outstanding stock is voting stock.)

Requirements

1. What method should East Cost Motors use to account for the investment in Boxcar Motors? Give your reasoning.

Short Answer

Expert verified

East Coast Motors mustaccount for investment using the equity method.

Step by step solution

01

Definition of Equity Method

The method of recording investment in the company’s voting stock under which the investment is recorded at its acquisition cost and adjustments are made for net income, loss and dividend payment is known as the equity method.

02

Accounting for Investment

East Coast Motors company has purchased 35% voting stock of Boxcar Motors. When the investment purchased reflects the purchase of 20% to 50% of the voting stock of the investee company, then it must be accounted for using the equity method.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Classifying and accounting for debt and equity investments

Jetway Corporation generated excess cash and invested in securities as follows: 2018

Jul. 2 Purchased 4,200 shares of Pogo, Inc. common stock at \(12.00 per share. Jetway plans to sell the stock within three months, when the company will need the cash for normal operations. Jetway does not have significant influence over Pogo.

Aug. 21 Received a cash dividend of \)0.80 per share on the Pogo stock investment.

Sep. 16 Sold the Pogo stock for \(13.40 per share.

Oct. 1 Purchased a Violet bond for \)20,000 at face value. Jetway classifies the investment as trading and short-term.

Dec. 31 Received a \(100 interest payment from Violet.

31 Adjusted the Violet bond to its market value of \)22,000.

Requirements

Where is the unrealized holding gain or loss associated with the trading debt investment reported?

Question: P10-22B Classifying and accounting for debt and equity investments

Captain Transfer Corporation generated excess cash and invested in securities as follows:

2018

Jul. 2 Purchased 4,200 shares of Naradon, Inc. common stock at \(13.00 per share. Captain Transfer plans to sell the stock within three months, when the company will need the cash for normal operations. Captain Transfer does not have significant influence over Naradon.

Aug. 21 Received a cash dividend of \)0.40 per share on the Nardon stock investment.

Sep. 16 Sold the Naradon stock for \(13.70 per share.

Oct. 1 Purchased a Purple bond for \)40,000 at face value. Captain Transfer classifies the investment as trading and short-term.

Dec. 31 Received a \(600 interest payment from Purple.

31 Adjusted the Purple bond to its market value of \)44,000.

Requirements

3. Prepare T-accounts for the investment assets, and show how to report the investments on Captain Transfer’s balance sheet at December 31, 2018.

What does the rate of return on total assets measure, and how is it calculated?

Accounting for debt investments

League Up & Co. owns vast amounts of corporate bonds. Suppose League Up buys $900,000 of CocoCorp bonds at face value on January 2, 2018. The CocoCorp bonds pay interest at the annual rate of 8% on June 30 and December 31 and mature on December 31, 2022. League Up intends to hold the investment until maturity.

Requirements

2. Journalize the following on League Up’s books:

a. Receipt of final interest payment on December 31, 2022.

b. Disposition of the investment at maturity on December 31, 2022

Wild Adventure conducts tours of wildlife reserves around the world. The company recently purchased a lodge in Adelaide, Australia, securing a 4% mortgage from First Bank. In addition to monthly payments, Wild Adventure must provide annual reports to the bank showing that the company has a current ratio of 1.2 or better. After reviewing the annual reports, the CEO, N. O. Scrooge, approached Carl Hauptfleisch, the CFO, and stated, “We’ve decided we are going to move all our long-term debt investments into our brokerage account so we can sell them soon. Carl, go ahead and make the adjusting entries as of the current year-end.” Carl made the adjustments even though he doesn’t think the company will actually go ahead with the planned sale of the long-term debt investments. The subsequent year, the economy turned, and the company’s travel revenues dropped more than 60%. Wild Adventure eventually defaulted on the First Bank loan.

Requirements

What type of information in the financial reports would have helped the bank detect this reclassification?

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