Sue Wilson, the new financial manager of New World Chemicals (NWC),
a California producer of specialized chemicals for use in fruit orchards, must prepare a formal financial forecast for 2013. NWC's 2012 sales were $2 billion, and the marketing department is forecasting a 25 percent increase for 2013. Wilson thinks the company was operating at full capacity in 2012, but she is not sure. The first step in her forecast was to assume that key ratios would remain unchanged and that it would be "business as usual" at NWC. The 2012 financial statements, the 2013 initial forecast, and a ratio analysis for 2012 and the 2013 initial forecast are given in Table IC 6.1
Assume that you were recently hired as Wilson's assistant and that your first major task is to help her develop the formal financial forecast. She asks you to begin by answering the following questions.
a. Assume (1) that NWC was operating at full capacity in 2012 with respect to all assets, (2) that all assets must grow at the same rate as sales, (3) that accounts payable and accrued liabilities also will grow at the same rate as sales, and (4) that the 2012 profit margin and dividend payout will be maintained. Under these conditions, what would the AFN equation predict the company's financial requirements to be for the coming year?