Question

Jones Company possesses a 25 percent interest in the outstanding voting shares of Sandridge Company. Under what circumstances might Jones decide that the equity method would not be appropriate to account for this investment?

Answer 1

Answer:

Jones may decide that the equity method would not be appropriate to account for the investment when Jones Company does not have significant influences over the management/operation of Sandridge Company.

Although an investors holding from 25% of investee is very much likely to have significant influences on the investee, this may not be true all over the times. For Jones, to prove that it does not have significant influences over Sandridge, there may be some following evidences:

+ Jones and Sandridge sign an agreement that Jones surrenders  significant rights as a shareholder;

+ There is/are investor(s)/group(s) of investors who has more voting right than Jones and whose visionary/mission for Sandridge is opposite to Jones's.

+ Sandridge tries to reject Jones' influences on its management by seeking lawsuit or by successfully prevent representatives from Jones on its Board of Directors.

Explanation: