In 2023, the Moncrief Company purchased from Jim Lester the right to be the sole distributor in the western states of a product called Zelenex. In payment, Moncrief agreed to pay Lester 20% of the gross profit recognized from the sale of Zelenex in 2024.
Moncrief reports inventory using the periodic LIFO assumption. Late in 2024, the following information is available concerning the inventory of Zelenex:
Beginning inventory, 1/1/2024 (10,000 units @b $30) $300,000
Purchases (40,000 units @ $30) $1,200,000
Sales (35,000 units @ $60) $2,100,000
By the end of the year, the purchase price of Zelenex had risen to $40 per unit. On December 28, 2024, three days before year-end, Moncrief is in a position to purchase 20,000 additional units of Zelenex at the $40 per unit price. Due to the increase in purchase price, Moncrief will increase the selling price in 2025 to $80 per unit. Inventory on hand before the purchase, 15,000 units, is sufficient to meet the next six months’ sales and the company does not anticipate any significant changes in purchase price during 2025.
What are 2 courses of action that could be taken and what are the consequences?