Retained earnings:

a. Generally consists of a company's cumulative net income less any net losses and dividends declared since its inception.
b. Can only be appropriated by setting aside a cash fund.
c. Represents the amount shareholders are guaranteed to receive upon company liquidation.
d. Are never adjusted for anything other than net income or dividends.
e. Represent an amount of cash available to pay shareholders.

The plastic flowerpots company has two manufacturing departments, molding and packaging. at the beginning of the month, the molding department has 2,100 units in inventory, 70% complete as to materials. during the month, the molding department started 18,500 units. at the end of the month, the molding department had 3,150 units in ending inventory, 80% complete as to materials. units completed in the molding department are transferred into the packaging department. cost information for the molding department for the month follows: beginning work in process inventory (direct materials) $ 1,300 direct materials added during the month 28,900 using the weighted-average method, compute the molding department's (a) equivalent units of production for materials and (b) cost per equivalent unit of production for materials for the month. (round "cost per equivalent unit of production" to 2 decimal places.)

The treasurer for pittsburgh iron works wishes to use financial futures to hedge her interest rate exposure. she will sell five treasury futures contracts at $139,000 per contract. it is july and the contracts must be closed out in december of this year. long-term interest rates are currently 7.30 percent. if they increase to 9.50 percent, assume the value of the contracts will go down by 20 percent. also if interest rates do increase by 2.2 percent, assume the firm will have additional interest expense on its business loans and other commitments of $149,000. this expense, of course, will be separate from the futures contracts. a. what will be the profit or loss on the futures contract if interest rates increase to 9.50 percent by december when the contract is closed out

Ursus, inc., is considering a project that would have a five-year life and would require a $1,650,000 investment in equipment. at the end of five years, the project would terminate and the equipment would have no salvage value. the project would provide net operating income each year as follows (ignore income taxes.):