american optical corporation provides a variety of share-based compensation plans to its employees. under its executive stock option plan, the company granted options on january 1, 2018, that permit executives to acquire 4 million of the company’s $1 par common shares within the next five years, but not before december 31, 2019 (the vesting date). the exercise price is the market price of the shares on the date of grant, $14 per share. the fair value of the 4 million options, estimated by an appropriate option pricing model, is $3 per option. no forfeitures are anticipated. ignore taxes. required: 1. determine the total compensation cost pertaining to the options. 2. to 4. prepare the appropriate journal entries.

Garrett is an executive vice president at samm hardware. he researches a proposal by a larger company, maximum hardware, to combine the two companies. by analyzing past performance, conducting focus groups, and interviewing maximum employees, garrett concludes that maximum has poor profit margins, sells shoddy merchandise, and treats customers poorly. what actions should garrett and samm hardware take? a. turn down the acquisition offer and prepare to resist a hostile takeover. b. attempt a friendly merger and use managerial hubris to improve results at maximum. c. welcome the acquisition and use knowledge transfer to impart sam hardware's management practices. d. do nothing; the two companies cannot combine without samm hardware's explicit consent.