Kelly Company and Its Subsidiaries Are Engaged in the Manufacture

question 137

Essay

Kelly Company and its subsidiaries are engaged in the manufacture and marketing of ready-to-eat cereal and convenience foods. In its annual report to shareholders, Kelly disclosed the following:
DISPOSITIONS
Last year, the Company sold certain assets and liabilities of the Leader's Bagels business to Aura Foods Inc. for $275 million in cash. As a result of this transaction, the Company recorded a pretax charge of $178.9 million ($119.3 million after tax or $.29 per share). This charge included approximately $57 million for disposal of other assets associated with the Leader's business, which were not purchased by Aura. Disposal of these other assets was completed during the current year. The original reserve of $57 million exceeded actual losses from asset sales and related disposal costs by approximately $9 million. This amount was recorded as a credit to other income (expense), net during the current year.
Required:
Explain how the Kelly transactions described could be interpreted as an example of earnings management.

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Definitions:

Average Total Cost

The sum of all production costs (both fixed and variable) divided by the amount of product made.

ISO Quality Standards

A series of frameworks and guidelines established by the International Organization for Standardization to help companies ensure their products and services meet customer and regulatory requirements.

Total Quality Management

An extensive management approach focused on continuously improving the quality of products and services to achieve customer satisfaction.

Regulatory Standards

Established rules and specifications issued by regulatory agencies that businesses must comply with to ensure safety, quality, and fairness.