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A candy company makes Chocolate and Peanut clusters which produced the following

ID: 2376297 • Letter: A

Question

A candy company makes Chocolate and Peanut clusters which produced the following results last year.

Chocolate

Peanut

Total

Sales

$500,000

$600,000

$1,100,000

Variable costs

420,000

350,000

$770,000

Contribution margin

80,000

250,000

$330,000

Direct fixed costs

50,000

15,000

$65,000

Allocated fixed costs

45,000

55,000

$100,000

Net Income

($15,000)

$180,000

$165,000

A. Should the Chocolate be dropped?   

B. Explain your answer for item (a).

C. What would happen to overall net income if the chocolate was dropped?

D. Assume the chocolate clusters are not dropped and the peanut lost 15% of its sales. What would be the effect on net income?


A candy company makes Chocolate and Peanut clusters which produced the following results last year.

Chocolate

Peanut

Total

Sales

$500,000

$600,000

$1,100,000

Variable costs

420,000

350,000

$770,000

Contribution margin

80,000

250,000

$330,000

Direct fixed costs

50,000

15,000

$65,000

Allocated fixed costs

45,000

55,000

$100,000

Net Income

($15,000)

$180,000

$165,000

Explanation / Answer

A. Operating income for Chocolate before allocated fixed cost = contribution margin - direct fixed cost = 80,000-50,000 = 30,000


As this is positive, Chocolate should NOT be dropped. (Note that we should not consider the allocated fixed cost of 45,000 as this is an allocated cost and would be incurred anyway even if Chocolate is dropped).


B. The explanation is as above. The allocated cost should not be considered in our evaluation as it would be incurred anyway.


C. If chocolate is dropped, then net income would fall by the amount of operating income before allocated fixed cost which is equal to 30,000 (as calculated above). So net income would be 165,000-30,000 = $135,000


D. If chocolate is not dropped and peanut lost 15% of sales, then new peanut sales = 600,000*85% = 510,000

Variable costs for peanuts = old variable cost * (new sales / old sales) = 350,000 * (510,000/600,000) = 297,500


So new contribution margin for peanuts = 510,000-297,500 = 212,500


So reduction in contribution margin = 250,000 - 212,500 = 37,500


This would be the reduction in net income.


So new net income = 165,000 - 37500 = $127,500


Hope this helped ! Let me know in case of any queries.