Project Summary: Select 5 of the following 10 questions (20% each). Each question requires a minimum of 8 complete sentences (a minimum of 2 paragraphs). Your grade depends on the quality and completeness of each answer. Students must work independently and provide their own answers in their own words. Facts and figures should be cited. (1) Provide a brief example of net present value, as it is presented in your text. Then, briefly explain how net present value helps explain a firms financial performance. Within the context of net present value, what role does the IRR have in the evaluation process? How would these evaluations influence a firms ability to issue new stock, or bonds? (2) Provide two distinct examples of calculating capital costs as it relates to capital budgeting. List three key considerations a firm must make in determining its cost of capital? Apply these to each of the 5 investments markets. (3) Identify the key factors in inventory management. How would you manage joint costs in regard to applying an efficient inventory strategy. (4) How do taxes affect financial modeling? What happens when you use multiple cost drivers? (5) How does technology influence a firms ability to raise capital and in the formation of its investment strategies? Compare the differences with a low tech firm. (6) What circumstances make depreciation valuable to a firm? Explain the role that depreciation has in managing a firms costs. Provide three examples when it is advantageous to use depreciation. Last, provide three circumstances when depreciation is not necessarily best for a firm. (7) How does cost structure and operating leverage influence profit levels and changes in volume of production. (8) How can firms use computer simulation to improve their productivity and profitability? Give three examples of how this would be applied for minimizing production costs. (9) How has online retail activity challenged traditional retail markets? How might this affect the future of American consumerism? How might this affect production strategies? (10) What are the cautions in your text related to using regression analysis? Please explain each one and provide a brief example.