What approaches have been suggested to overcome the seasonality problem related to interim reporting?

Short Answer

Expert verified

One of the recommended approaches to address the issue of regularity related to interim reporting is to normalize fixed non-manufacturing costs based on anticipated sales.

Step by step solution

01

Meaning of Interim Reporting

An interim reporting can be a financial report covering a period of less than one year. Interim reporting is used to communicate a company's performance prior to the conclusion of normal full-year financial reporting cycles. Not at all like annual statements, is interim reporting not required to be overseen.

02

Explaining the approaches that have been suggested to overcome the seasonality problem related to interim reporting

One suggestion has been to normalize the fixed non-manufacturing cost based on expected sales. The issue with this strategy is that future sales are unclear, and consequently, an extraordinary deal of subjectivity is involved.

Another approach is to charge as one-period costs that are incomprehensible to designate for any one period. Under this approach, the detailed results for a quarter will reflect only fixed costs and commitment to profits, which is basically a commitment edge approach.

To mitigate the issue of regularity, the profession recommends that companies subject to material seasonal varieties highlight the regular nature of their business and with data for the 12-month period ending on interim dates for the current and preceding years. Consider supplementing your annual report.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

What is a performance obligation, and how is it used to determine when revenue should be recognized?

Heartland Company’s budgeted sales and budgeted cost of goods sold for the coming year are \(144,000,000 and \)99,000,000, respectively. Short-term interest rates are expected to average 10%. If Heartland can increase inventory turnover from its present level of 9 times a year to a level of 12 times per year, compute its expected cost savings for the coming year.

Picasso Company is a wholesale distributor of packaging equipment and supplies. The company’s sales have averaged about \(900,000 annually for the 3-year period 2015–2017. The firm’s total assets at the end of 2017 amounted to \)850,000.

The president of Picasso Company has asked the controller to prepare a report that summarizes the financial aspects of the company’s operations for the past 3 years. This report will be presented to the board of directors at their next meeting.

In addition to comparative financial statements, the controller has decided to present a number of relevant financial ratios which can assist in the identification and interpretation of trends. At the request of the controller, the accounting staff has calculated the following ratios for the 3-year period 2015–2017.

2015

2016

2017

Current ratio

1.80

1.89

1.96

Acid-test (quick) ratio

1.04

0.99

0.87

Accounts receivable turnover

8.75

7.71

6.42

Inventory turnover

4.91

4.32

3.42

Debt to assets ratio

51.0%

46.0%

41.0%

Long-term debt to assets ratio

31.0%

27.0%

24.0%

Sales to fixed assets (fixed asset turnover)

1.58

1.69

1.79

Sales as a percent of 2015 sales

1.00

1.03

1.07

Gross margin percentage

36.0%

35.1%

34.6%

Net income to sales

6.9%

7.0%

7.2%

Return on assets

7.7%

7.7%

7.8%

Return on common stockholders’ equity

13.6%

13.1%

12.7%

In preparation of the report, the controller has decided first to examine the financial ratios independent of any other data to determine if the ratios themselves reveal any significant trends over the 3-year period.

Instructions

b) In terms of the ratios provided, what conclusion(s) can be drawn regarding the company’s use of financial leverage during the 2015–2017 period?

(Ratio Computations and Additional Analysis) Bradburn Corporation was formed 5 years ago through a public subscription of common stock. Daniel Brown, who owns 15% of the common stock, was one of the organizers of Bradburn and is its current president. The company has been successful, but it currently is experiencing a shortage of funds. On June 10, 2018, Daniel Brown approached the Topeka National Bank, asking for a 24-month extension on two \(35,000 notes, which are due on June 30, 2018, and September 30, 2018. Another note of \)6,000 is due on March 31, 2019, but he expects no difficulty in paying this note on its due date. Brown explained that Bradburn’s cash flow problems are due primarily to the company’s desire to finance a \(300,000 plant expansion over the next 2 fiscal years through internally generated funds. The commercial loan officer of Topeka National Bank requested the following financial reports for the last 2 fiscal years

BRADBURN CORPORATION

BALANCE SHEET

MARCH 31

Assets

2018

2017

Cash

\) 18,200

\( 12,500

Notes receivable

148,000

132,000

Accounts receivable (net)

131,800

125,500

Inventories (at cost)

105,000

50,000

Plant & Equipment (net of depreciation)

1,449,000

1,420,500

Total assets

\)1,852,000

\(1,740,500

Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity

Accounts payable

\) 79,000

\( 91,000

Notes payable

76,000

61,500

Accrued liabilities

9,000

6,000

Common stock (130,000 shares, \)10 par)

1,300,000

1,300,000

Retained earnings*

388,000

282,000

Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity

\(1,852,000

\)1,740,500

Depreciation charges on the plant and equipment of \(100,000 and \)102,500 for fiscal years ended March 31, 2017, and 2018, respectively, are included in the cost of goods sold.

Instructions

A. Compute the following items for Bradburn Corporation.

5. Percentage change in sales, cost of goods sold, gross margin, and net income after taxes from fiscal year 2017 to 2018.

Picasso Company is a wholesale distributor of packaging equipment and supplies. The company’s sales have averaged about \(900,000 annually for the 3-year period 2015–2017. The firm’s total assets at the end of 2017 amounted to \)850,000.

The president of Picasso Company has asked the controller to prepare a report that summarizes the financial aspects of the company’s operations for the past 3 years. This report will be presented to the board of directors at their next meeting.

In addition to comparative financial statements, the controller has decided to present a number of relevant financial ratios which can assist in the identification and interpretation of trends. At the request of the controller, the accounting staff has calculated the following ratios for the 3-year period 2015–2017.

2015

2016

2017

Current ratio

1.80

1.89

1.96

Acid-test (quick) ratio

1.04

0.99

0.87

Accounts receivable turnover

8.75

7.71

6.42

Inventory turnover

4.91

4.32

3.42

Debt to assets ratio

51.0%

46.0%

41.0%

Long-term debt to assets ratio

31.0%

27.0%

24.0%

Sales to fixed assets (fixed asset turnover)

1.58

1.69

1.79

Sales as a percent of 2015 sales

1.00

1.03

1.07

Gross margin percentage

36.0%

35.1%

34.6%

Net income to sales

6.9%

7.0%

7.2%

Return on assets

7.7%

7.7%

7.8%

Return on common stockholders’ equity

13.6%

13.1%

12.7%

In preparation of the report, the controller has decided first to examine the financial ratios independent of any other data to determine if the ratios themselves reveal any significant trends over the 3-year period.

Instructions

a) The current ratio is increasing while the acid-test (quick) ratio is decreasing. Using the ratios provided, identify and explain the contributing factor(s) for this apparently divergent trend.

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