During 2008, the difference in yield (the yield spread) between 3-month AA-rated financial commercial paper and 3-month AA-rated non-financial commercial paper steadily increased from its usual level of close to zero, spiking to over a full percentage point at it peak in October 2008. Which of the following explains this sudden increase?
The increase in the yield spread was a result of the decrease in demand for financial commercial paper due to the uncertainty and soundness of financial companies and banks.

Amachine purchased three years ago for $720,000 has a current book value using straight-line depreciation of $400,000: its operating expenses are $60,000 per year. a replacement machine would cost $480,000, have a useful life of nine years, and would require $26,000 per year in operating expenses. it has an expected salvage value of $130,000 after nine years. the current disposal value of the old machine is $170,000: if it is kept 9 more years, its residual value would be $20,000. calculate the total costs in keeping the old machine and purchase a new machine. should the old machine be replaced?

Paar corporation bought 100 percent of kimmel, inc., on january 1, 2012. on that date, paar’s equipment (10-year life) has a book value of $420,000 but a fair value of $520,000. kimmel has equipment (10-year life) with a book value of $272,000 but a fair value of $400,000. paar uses the equity method to record its investment in kimmel. on december 31, 2014, paar has equipment with a book value of $294,000 but a fair value of $445,200. kimmel has equipment with a book value of $190,400 but a fair value of $357,000. the consolidated balance for the equipment account as of december 31, 2014 is $574,000. what would be the impact on consolidated balance for the equipment account as of december 31, 2014 if the parent had applied the initial value method rather than the equity method? the balance in the consolidated equipment account cannot be determined for the initial value method using the information given. the consolidated equipment account would have a higher reported balance. the consolidated equipment account would have a lower reported balance. no effect: the method the parent uses is for internal reporting purposes only and has no impact on consolidated totals.

Suppose your firm is considering investing in a project with the cash flows shown as follows, that the required rate of return on projects of this risk class is 10 percent, and that the maximum allowable payback and discounted payback statistics for the project are three and a half and four and a half years, respectively. use the irr decision to evaluate this project; should it be accepted or rejected