Johnson Scooter Company Is Considering Whether or Not to Expand

question 150

Essay

Johnson Scooter Company is considering whether or not to expand into a new area of the US. They produce high-performance gas scooters with moderate gas mileage, but have developed a new battery technology that combines a small amount of electrical energy with the existing gas power. This new technology will significantly increase the fuel economy of their bikes. They will need to spend $5,075,000 to retrofit a building to incorporate the new fuel-saving technology. New worker training will cost $1,984,000. Other expenses involved in getting the new plant up and running amount to $332,000. The CEO anticipates that, with gas price increases, the profit potential of this expansion is $7,588,000. Do the benefits outweigh the costs or do the costs outweigh the benefits, and by how much?

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Definitions:

Hedge Ratio

A ratio used to calculate the amount of derivatives needed to hedge a position or portfolio, often used to minimize risk exposure.

Delta

A measure in financial markets that compares the change in the price of a derivative to the change in the price of its underlying asset.

Gamma

A measure of the rate of change in an option's delta for a one-unit change in the price of the underlying asset.

Theta

An option Greek that measures the rate of decline in the value of an option due to the passage of time.