PROJECT AND RISK ANALYSIS As a financial analyst, you must evaluate a proposed project to produce printer cartridges. The equipment would cost $55,000, plus $10,000 for installation. Annual sales would be 4,000 units at a price of $50 per cartridge, and the project’s life would be 3 years. Current assets would increase by $5,000 and payables by $3,000. At the end of 3 years, the equipment could be sold for $10,000. Depreciation would be based on the MACRS 3-year class; so the applicable depreciation rates would be 33%, 45%, 15%, and 7%. Variable costs (VC) would be 70% of sales revenues, fixed costs excluding depreciation would be $30,000 per year, the marginal tax rate is 40%, and the corporate WACC is 11%.
a. What is the required investment, that is, the Year 0 project cash flow?
b. What are the annual depreciation charges?