Jell Stores is considering expanding its operations to include the greater Boston area. Rather than build new stores in the Boston area, management plans to acquire existing stores and convert them into Jell outlets.

Jell is evaluating two similar acquisition opportunities. Information relating to each of these stores is presented below:

Instructions
a. Compute an estimated fair value for any goodwill associated with Jell purchasing Carnie’s.
Base your computation upon an assumption that successful stores of this type typically sell at about 10 times their annual earnings.
b. Compute an estimated fair value for any goodwill associated with Jell purchasing Mell’s.
Base your computation upon an assumption that Jell’s management wants to generate a target return on investment of 35 percent.
c. Many of Jell’s existing stores are extremely profitable. If Jell acquires Carnie’s or Mell’s, should it also record the goodwill associated with its existing locations?Explain.

Carnie's Mell's Estimated normal rate of returm on net assets Fair market value of net identifiable assets Actual average net income for past five years 20% $900,000 $980,000 250,000 280,000 20%