Question

1. Read the opening case below captioned ‘Too Much Inventory’. Citing from the relevant standard (IAS...

1. Read the opening case below captioned ‘Too Much Inventory’. Citing from the relevant standard (IAS 2 - Inventory), explain why BB Ltd had to undertake massive write-downs in 2014.

2. Based solely on the data given in the opening case, prepare the typical journal entry BB Ltd would probably have made to record its write-downs in 2014.

'Too Much Inventory'

BlackBerry Ltd. faced a rough week in late September 2013. Within a seven-day period, the company not only announced a potential buyer for the company but also reported a quarterly loss of close to a billion dollars. The loss was generated primarily by write-down of BlackBerry 10 handsets (BB 10), the company’s new flagship product. Prior to this result, the company had been struggling to keep up with other smartphone competitors, and sales of the new phone had not met expectations. As a result of the news reported during this week, the company’s share price fell over 20 percent on the market. When the company reported its annual financial results for the year ended March 1, 2014, the gross profit on hardware sales was actually negative. In fact, it was – $2.5 billion. How can a company report a negative gross profit? In BlackBerry’s case, a further write-down of the BB 10 handset occurred in the third quarter, resulting in total write-downs for the year of approximately $2.4 billion. As described in the company’s Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition report, evaluations of inventory require an assessment of future demand assumptions (BlackBerry Ltd., 2014). Sales of the new BlackBerry product were significantly lower than expected, resulting in a large number of unsold handsets. As the goal of financial reporting is to portray the economic truth of a company, BlackBerry Ltd. had no choice but to accept the reality that their inventory of BB 10 phones could not be sold for the amount reported on the balance sheet. The company described the causes of the write-down as these: the maturing smartphone market, very intense competition, and uncertainty created by the company’s strategic review process. Regardless of the causes, it was clear that this massive write-down had a profound effect on BlackBerry Ltd.’s financial results and share price. Although the write-down was a symptom of other deeper problems in the company, it is clear that management of inventory levels can be a significant issue for many businesses. For the accountant, understanding the importance of the reported inventory amount is paramount, and critically analyzing the valuation assumptions is essential to fair reporting of inventory balances.

(Sources: BlackBerry Ltd., 2014; Damouni, Kim & Leske, 2013)

Homework Answers

Answer #1

1. According to IAS 2 - Inventory, 'Finished goods need to be valued at lower of Cost or Net realizable value (NRV). In the said case, due to various reasons inventory of BB 10 phones count not be sold in the previous quarter for the amount reported on the balance sheet date, and therefore it needs to be written off to the NRV - which generally needs to be arrived at considering the prices at which it has been sold in the market subsequent to the balance sheet date till the date of auditor's reporting. As its very evident that the inventory couldn't be sold off in future or will be sold at very discounted price - the write off is required to reflect the inventory at NRV.

2. the journal entry for the write down would have been as follows:

Profit & Loss A/c Debit $2.4 billion

To Inventory Credit $2.4 billion

Know the answer?
Your Answer:

Post as a guest

Your Name:

What's your source?

Earn Coins

Coins can be redeemed for fabulous gifts.

Not the answer you're looking for?
Ask your own homework help question
Similar Questions
Too Much Inventory BlackBerry Ltd. faced a rough week in late September 2013. Within a seven-day...
Too Much Inventory BlackBerry Ltd. faced a rough week in late September 2013. Within a seven-day period, the company not only announced a potential buyer for the company but also reported a quarterly loss of close to a billion dollars. The loss was generated primarily by write-down of BlackBerry 10 handsets (BB 10), the company’s new flagship product. Prior to this result, the company had been struggling to keep up with other smartphone competitors, and sales of the new phone...
Business Problem-Solving Case Walmart and Amazon Duke It Out for E-Commerce Supremacy Walmart is the world’s...
Business Problem-Solving Case Walmart and Amazon Duke It Out for E-Commerce Supremacy Walmart is the world’s largest and most successful retailer, with $487.5 billion in 2014 sales and nearly 11,000 stores worldwide, including more than 4,000 in the United States. Walmart has 2.2 million employees and ranks first on the Fortune 500 list of companies. Walmart had such a large and powerful selling machine that it really didn’t have any serious competitors—until now. Today, Walmart’s greatest threat is Amazon.com, often...
Discuss ethical issues that can be identified in this case and the mode of managing ethics...
Discuss ethical issues that can be identified in this case and the mode of managing ethics Enron finds itself in this case. How would you describe the ethical culture and levels of trust at Enron? Provide reasons for your assessment. THE FALL OF ENRON: A STAKEHOLDER FAILURE Once upon a time, there was a gleaming headquarters office tower in Houston, with a giant tilted "£"' in front, slowly revolving in the Texas sun. The Enron Corporation, which once ranked among...
During the trial, lawyers for the accused said that the men believed that the accounting decisions...
During the trial, lawyers for the accused said that the men believed that the accounting decisions they made were appropriate at the time, and that the accounting treatment was approved by Nortel’s auditors from Deloitte & Touche. Judge Marrocco accepted these arguments. Marrocco added he was “not satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt” that the trio (i.e., Dunn, Beatty, and Gollogly) had “deliberately misrepresented” financial results. Given the facts of the case, do you believe Judge Marrocco’s decision was justified? Explain....
Delta airlines case study Global strategy. Describe the current global strategy and provide evidence about how...
Delta airlines case study Global strategy. Describe the current global strategy and provide evidence about how the firms resources incompetencies support the given pressures regarding costs and local responsiveness. Describe entry modes have they usually used, and whether they are appropriate for the given strategy. Any key issues in their global strategy? casestudy: Atlanta, June 17, 2014. Sea of Delta employees and their families swarmed between food trucks, amusement park booths, and entertainment venues that were scattered throughout what would...
What role could the governance of ethics have played if it had been in existence in...
What role could the governance of ethics have played if it had been in existence in the organization? Assess the leadership of Enron from an ethical perspective. THE FALL OF ENRON: A STAKEHOLDER FAILURE Once upon a time, there was a gleaming headquarters office tower in Houston, with a giant tilted "£"' in front, slowly revolving in the Texas sun. The Enron Corporation, which once ranked among the top Fortune 500 companies, collapsed in 2001 under a mountain of debt...
Sign In INNOVATION Deep Change: How Operational Innovation Can Transform Your Company by Michael Hammer From...
Sign In INNOVATION Deep Change: How Operational Innovation Can Transform Your Company by Michael Hammer From the April 2004 Issue Save Share 8.95 In 1991, Progressive Insurance, an automobile insurer based in Mayfield Village, Ohio, had approximately $1.3 billion in sales. By 2002, that figure had grown to $9.5 billion. What fashionable strategies did Progressive employ to achieve sevenfold growth in just over a decade? Was it positioned in a high-growth industry? Hardly. Auto insurance is a mature, 100-year-old industry...
provide 3-4 paragraphs post (team 2) 1-What are 4 key things you learned about the topic...
provide 3-4 paragraphs post (team 2) 1-What are 4 key things you learned about the topic from reading their paper? 2-How does the topic relate to you and your current or past job? 3-Critique the paper in terms of the organization and quality.1- Employee Stress and how it has an Adverse Effect on a Company This paper explores employee stress and how it has an adverse effect on a company, its employees and the organization. Job stress can have a...
What tools could AA leaders have used to increase their awareness of internal and external issues?...
What tools could AA leaders have used to increase their awareness of internal and external issues? ???ALASKA AIRLINES: NAVIGATING CHANGE In the autumn of 2007, Alaska Airlines executives adjourned at the end of a long and stressful day in the midst of a multi-day strategic planning session. Most headed outside to relax, unwind and enjoy a bonfire on the shore of Semiahmoo Spit, outside the meeting venue in Blaine, a seaport town in northwest Washington state. Meanwhile, several members of...
ADVERTISEMENT
Need Online Homework Help?

Get Answers For Free
Most questions answered within 1 hours.

Ask a Question
ADVERTISEMENT