Question #36

of 84 Alpha Inc. owns 70% of the outstanding shares of Beta Inc. Compared to the debt-to-equity ratio under the partial goodwill method, Alpha's debt-to-equity ratio under the full goodwill method is most likely be: A) the same. B) lower. C) higher. Birch Corporation is a large conglomerate based in the U.S. that has grown primarily through acquisition. On the first day of this reporting year, January 1, 2012, Birch acquired 1,500,000 shares of the common stock of TRQ Inc. TRQ Inc. produces high quality fabrics for use in the fashion industry. Exhibit 1 shows key numbers from TRQ Inc.'s accounts. Exhibit 1 - TRQ Financial Statement Extracts TRQ Inc Income – year ending 31 Dec 12 $700,000 Dividend paid $210,000 Number of common shares in issue 6,000,000 Number preferred shares in issue 3,000,000 Total number of shares in issue 9,000,000 Both Birch and TRQ prepare their accounts using US GAAP. Dan Fitzroy is the CFO of Birch, and is currently preparing with a meeting with the auditors to discuss the correct treatment of the TRQ investment in Birch's group accounts. Fitzroy is of the opinion that the equity method of accounting should be used for the following reasons: 1. The proportion of TRQ's common shares owned by Birch suggests that Birch has significant influence over TRQ's operations 2. The lack of ownership of preferred shares suggests that Birch has no significant influence over TRQ's operations 3. The proportion of TRQ's total shares owned by Birch suggests that Birch has significant influence over TRQ's operations