Below are the 2014 and 2015 year-end balance sheets for Tran Enterprises:

Assets: 2015 2014
Cash $200,000 $170,000
Accounts receivable 864,000 700,000
Inventories 2,000,000 1,400,000
Total current assets $3,064,000 $2,270,000
Net fixed assets 6,000,000 5,600,000
Total assets $9,064,000 $7,870,000

Liabilities and equity:
Accounts payable $1,400,000 $1,090,000
Notes payable to bank 1,600,000 1,800,000
Total current liabilities $3,000,000 $2,890,000
Long-term debt 2,400,000 2,400,000
Common stock 3,000,000 2,000,000
Retained earnings 664,000 580,000
Total common equity $3,664,000 $2,580,000
Total liabilities and equity $9,064,000 $7,870,000

The firm has never paid a dividend on its common stock, and it issued $2,400,000 of 10-year, non-callable, long-term debt in 2014. As of the end of 2015, none of the principal on this debt had been repaid. Assume that the company's sales in 2014 and 2015 were the same. Which of the following statements must be CORRECT?

a. The firm increased its short-term bank debt in 2015.
b. The firm repurchased some common stock in 2015.
c. The firm had negative net income in 2015.
d. The firm issued long-term debt in 2015.
e. The firm issued new common stock in 2015.

In december of 2004, the company you own entered into a 20-year contract with a grain supplier for daily deliveries of grain to its hot dog bun manufacturing facility. the contract called for "10,000 pounds of grain" to be delivered to the facility at the price of $100,000 per day. until february 2017, the supplier provided processed grain which could easily be used in your manufacturing process. however, no longer wanting to absorb the cost of having the grain processed, the supplier began delivering whole grain. the supplier is arguing that the contract does not specify the type of grain that would be supplied and that it has not breached the contract. your company is arguing that the supplier has an onsite processing plant and processed grain was implicit to the terms of the contract. over the remaining term of the contract, reshipping and having the grain processed would cost your company approximately $10,000,000, opposed to a cost of around $1,000,000 to the supplier. after speaking with in-house counsel, it was estimated that litigation would cost the company several million dollars and last for years. weighing the costs of litigation, along with possible ambiguity in the contract, what are three options you could take to resolve the dispute? which would be the best option for your business and why?