You have recently been appointed as the management accountant attached to the head office of the company with special responsibility of monitoring the performance of the companies within the group. Each company is treated as an investment center and every month produces an operating statement for the group headquarters. Summaries of the statements for companies X and Y which make similar products selling at similar prices for the last month showed a typical situation. Extract from the company monthly operating statements.                                                               X                         Y                                                             GHS000               GHS000 Sales                                                        600                       370 Less variable cost                                    229                       208 Contribution                                             371                       162 Less controllable fixed overheads              65                         28 Controllable profit                                    306                       134 Less apportioned group costs                    226                      119                                                                      80                        15 Company Assets                                      GHS6.4M                  GHS0.9M Estimated return on capital employed (on annual basis)   15%                  20%   Although both companies are earning more than the target return on capital of 12%, there is pressure of interest rates which means this rate must be increased soon and the board is concerned at the  relatively low return achieved by   X.   REQUIRED i).Using common size ratios and other relevant information Compare and discuss the relative performance of the two companies as shown in the summarized statement. .                                                     ii). Redraft the operating statement using an alternative performance measurement to return on capital employed and interpret them against a background of rising interest                                                                                                                                                                                   iii). critically compare the use of return on capital employed and the alternative performance measure used in (ii) above to assess investment Centers.

Principles of Accounting Volume 2
19th Edition
ISBN:9781947172609
Author:OpenStax
Publisher:OpenStax
Chapter9: Responsibility Accounting And Decentralization
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 5PB: Financial information for Lighthizer Trading Company for the fiscal year-ended September 30, 20xx,...
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You have recently been appointed as the management accountant attached to the head office of the company with special responsibility of monitoring the performance of the companies within the group. Each company is treated as an investment center and every month produces an operating statement for the group headquarters. Summaries of the statements for companies X and Y which make similar products selling at similar prices for the last month showed a typical situation.

Extract from the company monthly operating statements.

 

                                                            X                         Y

                                                            GHS000               GHS000

Sales                                                        600                       370

Less variable cost                                    229                       208

Contribution                                             371                       162

Less controllable fixed overheads              65                         28

Controllable profit                                    306                       134

Less apportioned group costs                    226                      119

                                                                     80                        15

Company Assets                                      GHS6.4M                  GHS0.9M

Estimated return on capital employed (on annual basis)   15%                  20%

 

Although both companies are earning more than the target return on capital of 12%, there is pressure of interest rates which means this rate must be increased soon and the board is concerned at the  relatively low return achieved by   X.

 

REQUIRED

i).Using common size ratios and other relevant information Compare and discuss the relative performance of the two companies as shown in the summarized statement. .                                                    

ii). Redraft the operating statement using an alternative performance measurement to return on capital employed and interpret them against a background of rising interest                                               

                                                                                                                                  

iii). critically compare the use of return on capital employed and the alternative performance measure used in (ii) above to assess investment Centers.                                                                              

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