(b) Ratio analysis in general can be useful in comparing the performance of two companies, but it has its limitations.

Required:

State and briefly explain three factors which can cause accounting ratios to be misleading when used for

such comparison. (6 marks)

(b) The chief executive of Xalam Co, an exporter of specialist equipment, has asked for advice on the accounting

treatment and disclosure of payments made for security consultancy services. The payments, which aim to

ensure that consignments are not impounded in the destination country of a major customer, may be material to

the financial statements for the year ending 30 June 2006. Xalam does not treat these payments as tax

deductible. (4 marks)

Required:

Identify and comment on the ethical and other professional issues raised by each of these matters and state what

action, if any, Dedza should now take.

NOTE: The mark allocation is shown against each of the three situations.

19 At 30 June 2004 a company’s allowance for receivables was $39,000. At 30 June 2005 trade receivables totalled $517,000. It was decided to write off debts totalling $37,000 and to adjust the allowance for receivables to the equivalent of 5 per cent of the trade receivables based on past events.

What figure should appear in the income statement for these items?

A $61,000

B $22,000

C $24,000

D $23,850

(c) (i) Identify and describe FOUR quality control procedures that are applicable to the individual audit

engagement; and (8 marks)

2 Benny Korere has been employed as the sales director of Golden Tan plc since 1994. He earns an annual salary of

￡32,000 and is provided with a petrol-driven company car which has a CO2 emission rate of 187g/km and had a

list price when new of ￡22,360. In August 2003, when he was first provided with the car, Benny paid the company

￡6,100 towards the capital cost of the car. Golden Tan plc does not pay for any of Benny’s private petrol and he is

also required to pay his employer ￡18 per month as a condition of being able to use the car for private purposes.

On 1 December 2006 Golden Tan plc notified Benny that he would be made redundant on 28 February 2007. On

that day the company will pay him his final month’s salary together with a payment of ￡8,000 in lieu of the three

remaining months of his six-month notice period in accordance with his employment contract. In addition the

company will pay him ￡17,500 in return for agreeing not to work for any of its competitors for the six-month period

ending 31 August 2007.

On receiving notification of his redundancy, Benny immediately contacted Joe Egmont, the managing director of

Summer Glow plc, who offered him a senior management position leading the company’s expansion into Eastern

Europe. Summer Glow plc is one of Golden Tan plc’s competitors and one of the most innovative companies in the

industry, although not all of its strategies have been successful.

Benny has agreed to join Summer Glow plc on 1 September 2007 for an annual salary of ￡39,000. On the day he

joins the company, Summer Glow plc will grant him an option to purchase 10,000 ordinary shares in the company

for ￡2·20 per share under an unapproved share option scheme. Benny can exercise the option once he has been

employed for six months but must hold the shares for at least a year before he sells them.

The new job will require Benny to spend a considerable amount of time in London. Summer Glow plc has offered

Benny the exclusive use of a flat that the company purchased on 1 June 2003 for ￡165,000; the flat is currently

rented out. The flat will be made available from 1 September 2007. The company will pay all of the utility bills

relating to the flat as well as furnishing and maintaining it. Summer Glow plc has also suggested that if Benny would

rather live in a more central part of the city, the company could sell the existing flat and buy a more centrally located

one, of the same value, with the proceeds.

On 15 March 2007 Benny intends to sell 5,800 shares in Mahana plc, a quoted company, for ￡24,608. His

transactions in the company’s shares have been as follows:

￡

June 1988 Purchased 8,400 shares 6,744

February 1996 Sale of rights nil paid 610

January 2005 Purchased 1,300 shares 2,281

The sale of rights, nil paid, was not treated as a part disposal of Benny’s holding in Mahana plc.

Benny’s shareholding in Mahana plc represents less than 1% of the company’s issued ordinary share capital. He will

not make any other capital disposals in 2006/07.

In addition to his employment income, Benny receives rental income of ￡4,000 (net of deductible expenses) each

year. He normally submits his tax return in August but he has not yet prepared his return for 2005/06. He expects

to be very busy in December and January and is planning to prepare his tax return in late February 2007.

Required:

(a) Calculate Benny’s employment income for 2006/07. (4 marks)

19 What is the company’s return on shareholders’ equity?

A 15/40 = 37·5%

B 20/100 = 20%

C 15/100 = 15%

D 20/150 = 13·3%

3 The managers of Daylon plc are reviewing the company’s investment portfolio. About 15% of the portfolio is represented by a holding of 5,550,000 ordinary shares of Mondglobe plc. The managers are concerned about the effect on portfolio value if the price of Mondglobe’s shares should fall, and are considering selling the shares. Daylon’s investment bank has suggested that the risk of Mondglobe’s shares falling by more than 5% from their current value could be protected against by buying an over the counter option. The investment bank is prepared to sell an appropriate six month option to Daylon for ￡250,000.

Other information:

(i) The current market price of Mondglobe’s ordinary shares is 360 pence.

(ii) The annual volatility (variance) of Mondglobe’s shares for the last year was 169%.

(iii) The risk free rate is 4% per year.

(iv) No dividend is expected to be paid by Mondglobe during the next six months.

Required:

(a) Evaluate whether or not the price at which the investment bank is willing to sell the option is a fair price.(10 marks)

(b) Explain Mintzberg’s five organisational components. (10 marks)

10 Which of the following factors would cause a company’s gearing ratio to fall?

1 A bonus issue of ordinary shares.

2 A rights issue of ordinary shares.

3 An issue of loan notes.

4 An upward revaluation of non-current assets.

A 1 and 3

B 2 and 3

C 1 and 4

D 2 and 4