The overhead rate developed from the least-squares regression recognizes the relationship between cost and volume in the data. The regression suggests that there is a component of the cost ($26,200 per month) that is unrelated to total direct-labor hours. This cost component is the intercept on the vertical axis and is often considered to be the fixed cost as long as the activity level is within the relevant range. Thus, the least-squares regression results in a cost function with two components: fixed cost per month and variable cost per direct-labor hour. This cost formula can be used to predict total overhead at any activity level within the relevant range.