Polycom Systems earned $571 million last year and paid out 28 percent of earnings in dividends. Required:
a. By how much did the company’s retained earnings increase?
b. With 100 million shares outstanding and a stock price of $137, what was the dividend yield?

Panera bread is a chain of cafes serving sandwiches, soups, and freshly baked breads. the company began in 1981 with stores primarily located along the east coast of the united states. since then, the firm has expanded to over 1,300 locations throughout the united states and canada. the firm has strong earnings and has been designated by business week as a "significant growth company." panera bread executives are considering the idea of expanding globally by opening cafes in asia through a franchising strategy. which of the following, if true, supports the argument that panera bread should expand into asia through franchising? a: the panera bread menu changes rapidly, and each cafe's artisan bread bakers receive regular training on new recipes. b: panera bread executives want fast access to the asian market without a significant investment of capital. c: panera bread executives want to test the asian market with a short-term commitment that allows them to make quick profits. d: the panera bread mission is to make excellent bread available to customers around the world.

Choose the statement that is incorrect. a. search activity occurs only in markets where there is a shortage. b. when a price is regulated and there is a shortage, search activity increases. c. the time spent looking for someone with whom to do business is called search activity. d. the opportunity cost of a good is equal to its price plus the value of the search time spent finding the good.

Describe what fixed costs and marginal costs mean to a company.