A finance manager employed by an automobile dealership believes
that the number of cars sold in his local market can be predicted
by the interest rate charged for a loan.
Interest Rate (%) | Number of Cars Sold (100s) |
3 | 10 |
5 | 7 |
6 | 5 |
8 | 2 |
The finance manager performed a regression analysis of the number
of cars sold and interest rates using the sample of data above.
Shown below is a portion of the regression output.
Regression Statistics | |
Multiple R | 0.998868 |
R2 | 0.997738 |
Coefficient | |
Intercept | 14.88462 |
Interest Rate | -1.61538 |
Are there factors other than interest rate charged for a loan
that the finance manager should consider in predicting future car
sales?
Is interest rate charged for a loan the most important factor to
be considered in predicting future car sales? Explain your
reasoning.The dealership’s vice-president of marketing has
requested a sales forecast at the prevailing interest rate of
7%.
As finance manager, what reasons would you convey to the
vice-president in recommending this forecasting model?
Is the prediction of car sales at 7% a reflection of the current
downturn in the economy? How might this impact the dealership’s
business?