Why do consumers benefit from free trade and the resulting competition between businesses?

Boone brothers remodels homes and replaces windows. ace builders constructs new homes. if boone brothers considers expanding into new home construction, it should evaluate the expansion project using which one of the following as the required return for the project?

The cook corporation has two divisions--east and west. the divisions have the following revenues and expenses: east west sales $ 603,000 $ 506,000 variable costs 231,000 300,000 traceable fixed costs 151,500 192,000 allocated common corporate costs 128,600 156,000 net operating income (loss) $ 91,900 $ (142,000 ) the management of cook is considering the elimination of the west division. if the west division were eliminated, its traceable fixed costs could be avoided. total common corporate costs would be unaffected by this decision. given these data, the elimination of the west division would result in an overall company net operating income (loss)

While cell phones with holographic keyboards are currently in the introduction stage of the industry life cycle, tablet computers are in the growth stage. in the context of this scenario, which of the following statements is true? a. the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will face greater competition than the tablet industry. b. while the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will focus more on product innovation, the tablet industry will focus more on process innovation. c. while the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards can reap the benefits of economies of scale, the tablet industry will experience no such benefits. d. the industry for cell phones with holographic keyboards will face price competition, whereas, in the tablet industry, the mode of competition will be non-price.