Morton Company’s contribution format income statement for last month is given below: Sales (41,000 units × $20 per unit) $ 820,000 Variable expenses 574,000 Contribution margin 246,000 Fixed expenses 196,800 Net operating income $ 49,200 The industry in which Morton Company operates is quite sensitive to cyclical movements in the economy. Thus, profits vary considerably from year to year according to general economic conditions. The company has a large amount of unused capacity and is studying ways of improving profits. Required: 1. New equipment has come onto the market that would allow Morton Company to automate a portion of its operations. Variable expenses would be reduced by $6.00 per unit. However, fixed expenses would increase to a total of $442,800 each month. Prepare two contribution format income statements, one showing present operations and one showing how operations would appear if the new equipment is purchased. 2. Refer to the income statements in (1). For the present operations and the proposed new operations, compute (a) the degree of operating leverage, (b) the break-even point in dollar sales, and (c) the margin of safety in dollars and the margin of safety percentage. 3. Refer again to the data in (1). As a manager, what factor would be paramount in your mind in deciding whether to purchase the new equipment? (Assume that enough funds are available to make the purchase.) 4. Refer to the original data. Rather than purchase new equipment, the marketing manager argues that the company’s marketing strategy should be changed. Rather than pay sales commissions, which are currently included in variable expenses, the company would pay salespersons fixed salaries and would invest heavily in advertising. The marketing manager claims this new approach would increase unit sales by 30% without any change in selling price; the company’s new monthly fixed expenses would be $367,360; and its net operating income would increase by 20%. Compute the company's break-even point in dollar sales under the new marketing strategy.
Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis
Cost Volume Profit (CVP) analysis is a cost accounting method that analyses the effect of fluctuating cost and volume on the operating profit. Also known as break-even analysis, CVP determines the break-even point for varying volumes of sales and cost structures. This information helps the managers make economic decisions on a short-term basis. CVP analysis is based on many assumptions. Sales price, variable costs, and fixed costs per unit are assumed to be constant. The analysis also assumes that all units produced are sold and costs get impacted due to changes in activities. All costs incurred by the company like administrative, manufacturing, and selling costs are identified as either fixed or variable.
Marginal Costing
Marginal cost is defined as the change in the total cost which takes place when one additional unit of a product is manufactured. The marginal cost is influenced only by the variations which generally occur in the variable costs because the fixed costs remain the same irrespective of the output produced. The concept of marginal cost is used for product pricing when the customers want the lowest possible price for a certain number of orders. There is no accounting entry for marginal cost and it is only used by the management for taking effective decisions.
Morton Company’s contribution format income statement for last month is given below:
| Sales (41,000 units × $20 per unit) | $ | 820,000 | |
| Variable expenses | 574,000 | ||
| Contribution margin | 246,000 | ||
| Fixed expenses | 196,800 | ||
| Net operating income | $ | 49,200 | |
The industry in which Morton Company operates is quite sensitive to cyclical movements in the economy. Thus, profits vary considerably from year to year according to general economic conditions. The company has a large amount of unused capacity and is studying ways of improving profits.
Required:
1. New equipment has come onto the market that would allow Morton Company to automate a portion of its operations. Variable expenses would be reduced by $6.00 per unit. However, fixed expenses would increase to a total of $442,800 each month. Prepare two contribution format income statements, one showing present operations and one showing how operations would appear if the new equipment is purchased.
2. Refer to the income statements in (1). For the present operations and the proposed new operations, compute (a) the degree of operating leverage, (b) the break-even point in dollar sales, and (c) the margin of safety in dollars and the margin of safety percentage.
3. Refer again to the data in (1). As a manager, what factor would be paramount in your mind in deciding whether to purchase the new equipment? (Assume that enough funds are available to make the purchase.)
4. Refer to the original data. Rather than purchase new equipment, the marketing manager argues that the company’s marketing strategy should be changed. Rather than pay sales commissions, which are currently included in variable expenses, the company would pay salespersons fixed salaries and would invest heavily in advertising. The marketing manager claims this new approach would increase unit sales by 30% without any change in selling price; the company’s new monthly fixed expenses would be $367,360; and its net operating income would increase by 20%. Compute the company's break-even point in dollar sales under the new marketing strategy.
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