Question Tag: Supply chain risks

a) Mama Lomo is trying to value Obuorba LTD’s stock. She uses a spreadsheet model to easily see how a change in one or more assumptions affects the stock’s estimated value. The model has projections for the next four years based on the following assumptions.

• Sales will be GH₵300 million in Year 1.
• Sales will grow at 15% in Years 2 and 3 and 10% in Year 4.
• Operating profits (EBIT) will be 17% of sales in each year.
• Interest expense will be GH₵10 million per year.
• Income tax rate is 30%.
• Earnings retention ratio will stay at 60%.
• The per-share dividend growth rate will be constant from Year 4 onwards, and the final growth rate will be 200 bps (2%) less than the growth rate from Year 3 to Year 4. This final growth rate should be used to derive the dividend growth from year 4 onwards.
  The company has 10 million shares outstanding. Mama Lomo has estimated the required return on Obuorba LTD’s stock to be 13%.
  Required:
  i) Estimate the value of the stock at the end of Year 4 based on the foregoing assumptions. (6 marks)

ii) Estimate the current value of the stock using the foregoing assumptions. (4 marks)

b) State THREE limitations of the dividend discount model of stock valuation. (5 marks)

c) In the healthcare sector, efficient inventory management and resource utilisation are critical to providing timely and high-quality patient care. The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, the largest teaching hospital in West Africa, has recently implemented a Just-in-Time (JIT) system to enhance its operational efficiency. The hospital adopted JIT production and purchasing strategies to manage its medical supplies and pharmaceuticals more effectively. The goal is to reduce inventory holding costs, minimise wastage and ensure that critical medical supplies are available when needed without overstocking.

However, the implementation of JIT systems in a healthcare setting like Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital presents several challenges. While JIT aims to streamline operations and reduce costs, it also introduces potential risks and problems, particularly in an environment where the timely availability of medical supplies is crucial for patient care.

Required:

i) Explain JIT purchasing. (2 marks)

ii) Discuss TWO potential problems associated with implementing JIT systems in a hospital environment. (3 marks)