CFA-Level-2 – Chartered Financial Analyst Level 2

MediSoft Inc. develops and distributes high-tech medical software used in hospitals and clinics across the United States and Canada. The firm's software provides an integrated solution to monitoring, analyzing, and managing output from a variety of diagnostic medical equipment including MRls, CT scans, and EKG machines. MediSoft has grown rapidly since its inception ten years ago, averaging 25% growth in sales over the last decade. The company went public three years ago. Twelve months after their IPO, MediSoft made two semiannual coupon bond offerings, the first of which was a convertible bond. At the time of issuance, the convertible bond had a coupon rate of 7.25%, par value of $1,000, a conversion price of $55.56, and ten years until maturity. Two years after issuance, the bond became callable at 102% of par value. Soon after the issuance of the convertible bond, the company issued another series of bonds which were putable, but contained no conversion or call features. The putable bonds were issued with a coupon of 8.0%, par value of $1,000, and 15 years until maturity. One year after their issuance, the put feature of the putable bonds became active, allowing the bonds to be put at a price of 95% of par value, and increasing linearly over five years to 100% of par value. MediSoft's convertible bonds are now trading in the market for a price of $947 with an estimated straight value of $917. The company's putable bonds are trading at a price of $1,052. Volatility in the price of MediSoft's common stock has been relatively high over the last few months. Currently the stock is priced at $50 on the New York Stock Exchange and is expected to continue its annual dividend in the amount of $1.80 per share.

High-tech industry analysts for Brown & Associates, a money management firm specializing in fixed-income investments, have been closely following MediSoft ever since it went public three years ago. In general, portfolio managers at Brown & Associates do not participate in initial offerings of debt investments, preferring instead to see how the issue trades before considering taking a position in the issue. Since MediSoft's bonds have had ample time to trade in the marketplace, analysts and portfolio managers have taken an interest in the company's bonds. At a meeting to discuss the merits of MediSofVs bonds, the following comments were made by various portfolio managers and analysts at Brown & Associates:

"Choosing to invest in MediSoft's convertible bond would benefit our portfolios in many ways, but the primary benefit is the limited downside risk associated with the bond. Since the straight value will provide a floor for the value of the convertible bond, downside risk is limited to the difference between the market price of the bond and the straight value."

"Decreasing volatility in the price of MediSoft's common stock as well as increasing volatility in the level of interest rates are expected in the near future. The combined effects of these changes in volatility will be a decrease in the price of MediSoft's putable bonds and an increase in the price of the convertible bonds. Therefore, only the convertible bonds would be a suitable purchase."

Assuming that portfolio managers at Brown & Associates purchased the convertible bonds, how many years would it take to recover the premium per share?

In 2001, Continental Supply Company was formed to provide drilling equipment and supplies to contractors and oilfield production companies located throughout the United States. At the end of

2005, Continental Supply created a wholly owned foreign subsidiary, International Oilfield Incorporated, to begin servicing customers located in the North Sea. International Oilfield maintains its financial statements in a currency known as the local currency unit (LCU).

Continental Supply follows U.S. GAAP and its presentation currency is the U.S. dollar.

For the years 2005 through 2008, the weighted-average and year-end exchange rates, stated in terms of local currency per U.S. dollar, were as follows:

International Oilfield accounts for its inventory using the lower-of-cost-or-rnarlcet valuation method in conjunction with the first-in, first-out, cost flow assumption. All of the inventory on hand at the beginning of the year was sold during 2008. Inventory remaining at the end of 2008 was acquired evenly throughout the year.

At the beginning of 2006, International Oilfield purchased equipment totaling LCU975 million when the exchange rate was LCU 1.00 to SI. During 2007, equipment with an original cost of LCU 108 million was totally destroyed in a fire. At the end of 2007, International Oilfield received a LCU 92 million insurance settlement for the loss. On June 30, 2008, International Oilfield purchased equipment totaling LCU 225 million when the exchange rate was LCU 1.25 to $1.

For the years 2007 and 2008, Continental Supply reported International Oilfield revenues in its consolidated income statement of S375 million and $450 million, respectively. There were no inter-company transactions. Following are International Oilfield's balance sheets at the end of 2007 and 2008:

At the end of 2008, International Oilfield's retained earnings account was equal to $525 million and, to date, no dividends have been paid. All of International Oilfield's capital stock was issued at the end of 2005.

As compared to the temporal method, which of the following best describes the impact of the allcurrent method on International Oilfield's gross profit margin percentage for 2008 when stated in U.S. dollars? The gross profit margin would be:

Jenna Stuart is a financial analyst for Deuce Hardware Company, a U.S. company that reports its results in U.S. dollars. Wayward Distributing, Inc., is a foreign subsidiary of Deuce Hardware, which began operations on January 1,2007. Wayward is located in a foreign country and reports its results in the local currency called the Rho. Selected balance sheet information for Wayward is shown in the following table.

Stuart has been asked to analyze how the reported financial results of Wayward will be affected by the choice of the all-current or temporal methods of accounting for foreign operations. She has gathered the following exchange rate information on the $/Rho exchange rate:

• Spot rate on 1/01/08: $0.35 per Rho

• Spot rate on 12/31/08: $0.45 per Rho

• Average spot rate during 2008: $0.42 per Rho

Suppose for this question only that Stuart has determined that (1) the operating, financing, and investing decisions related to Wayward's operations are typically made by Wayward's local management located in the foreign country; and (2) some of Wayward's accounts receivable are denominated in a different foreign currency called the Del (DI). Which method is the best to use to translate the Del receivables into Rho, according to U.S. GAAP?