Imagine you work for a breakfast cereal company that makes prepared products that are served cold. Your company wants to introduce a new hot breakfast cereal that would require some minimal preparation by the consumer. How would you propose forecasting initial demand for this product? Identify one quantitative and one qualitative technique. How do the techniques complement each other?

The gilbert instrument corporation is considering replacing the wood steamer it currently uses to shape guitar sides. the steamer has 6 years of remaining life. if kept,the steamer will have depreciaiton expenses of $650 for five years and $325 for the sixthyear. its current book value is $3,575, and it can be sold on an internet auction site for$4,150 at this time. if the old steamer is not replaced, it can be sold for $800 at the endof its useful life. gilbert is considering purchasing the side steamer 3000, a higher-end steamer, whichcosts $12,000 and has an estimated useful life of 6 years with an estimated salvage value of$1,500. this steamer falls into the macrs 5-year class, so the applicable depreciationrates are 20.00%, 32.00%, 19.20%, 11.52%, 11.52%, and 5.76%. the new steamer is fasterand allows for an output expansion, so sales would rise by $2,000 per year; the newmachine's much greater efficiency would reduce operating expenses by $1,900 per year.to support the greater sales, the new machine would require that inventories increase by$2,900, but accounts payable would simultaneously increase by $700. gilbert's marginalfederal-plus-state tax rate is 40%, and its wacc is 15%.a. should it replace the old steamer? b. npv of replace = $2,083.51

If the ceo of a large, diversified, firm were filling out a fitness report on a division manager (i.e., "grading" the manager), which of the following situations would be likely to cause the manager to receive a better grade? in all cases, assume that other things are held constant.a. the division's basic earning power ratio is above the average of other firms in its industry.b. the division's total assets turnover ratio is below the average for other firms in its industry.c. the division's debt ratio is above the average for other firms in the industry.d. the division's inventory turnover is 6, whereas the average for its competitors is 8.e. the division's dso (days' sales outstanding) is 40, whereas the average for its competitors is 30.

What legislation increased the ability for federal authorities to tap telephones and wireless devices, tightened the enforcement of money laundering activities, as well as broadened powers toward acts of terrorism and acts such as drug trafficking?