LIFO, FIFO, & Weighted Average Inventory Methods

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CPA Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) › LIFO, FIFO, & Weighted Average Inventory Methods

Questions 1 - 6
1

Which inventory costing method would a company that wishes to maximize profits in a period of rising prices use?

FIFO

Weighted average

Moving average

LIFO

Explanation

In a period of rising prices, the oldest inventory, or the inventory used in FIFO would be the least expensive. Thus, the profit margin would be the largest here.

2

Assuming constant inventory quantities, which of the following inventory costing methods will produce a lower inventory turnover ratio in an inflationary economy?

LIFO

Moving average

FIFO

Weighted average

Explanation

In a period of rising prices, the oldest inventory, or the inventory used in FIFO would be the least expensive. Thus, the profit margin would be the largest here.

3

During periods of inflation, a perpetual inventory system would result in the same dollar amount of ending inventory as a periodic inventory system under which of the following inventory valuation methods?

FIFO

FIFO and LIFO

Neither

LIFO

Explanation

Only under FIFO would the use of a perpetual system result in the same dollar amount of ending inventory as a periodic system.

4

Which of the following costing methods will yield the lowest inventory value?

Variable

Process

Hybrid

Absorption

Explanation

Variable costing typically produces the lowest inventory values since only variable costs are capitalized.

5

Which of the following costs is deducted from revenues of a manufacturing company in order to determine gross margin, but not deducted from revenues to determine contribution margin?

Variable manufacturing

Fixed manufacturing

Variable selling and administrative

Fixed selling and administrative

Explanation

Under the absorption approach, all fixed and variable manufacturing overhead is part of cost of goods sold to determine an entity's gross margin.

6

The equivalent units of production method can be calculated by using either:

FIFO or LIFO

FIFO or weighted average

LIFO or weighted average

LIFO or moving average

Explanation

Using the FIFO method accounts for work to be finished and using the weighted average method blends the units.

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