Comparing Companies
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Home Depot and Lowes Comparison
https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/viewer?action=view&cik…
https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/viewer?action=view&cik…
Preparation
For this problem, you will need to select two publicly traded
companies. For comparison purposes, the two companies should be
competitors within the same industry. Once you have selected two
publicly traded companies, obtain Form 10-K for each company for the
most current fiscal year. Use the EDGAR database from the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the investor (or investor
relations) page on the company’s site.
Follow these steps to find Form 10-K for each selected company using the SEC’s EDGAR database:
- Go to the Company Search Page by clicking the link in the Required Resources, under Internet Resources.
- Type the company’s official name in the Company Name box to search for the company’s filings.
- Select the 10-K form from the list of search results.
Analysis of the Financial Statements and Comparison of the Results
Your supervisor has given you an important task to complete for one
of the firm’s top clients. The client has identified two companies
within the same industry to add to his current portfolio. He does not
want to add both since these are competing companies. Your task is to
complete an analysis on these companies, compare the results, and
provide a recommendation to the client.
Complete your analysis for the client using the financial statements
and your prior knowledge of accounting, supplemented by textbooks or
other references of your choosing, to answer the following questions and
computations:
- What method does the company use to determine the cost of inventory for the fiscal year?
- Compute the inventory turnover ratio for the fiscal year. Also
compute it for the previous two fiscal years. What conclusions can you
make? - What method of depreciation does the company use? Does the company
use the same method for all fixed assets, or are different classes of
assets depreciated differently? - What is the amount of accumulated depreciation and amortization at the end of the most recent reporting year?
- For depreciation purposes, what is the estimated useful life of furniture and fixtures?
- What was the original cost of leasehold improvements owned by the company at the end of the most recent reporting year?
- What amount of depreciation and amortization was reported as expense for the most recent reporting year?
- How many shares of common stock are authorized at the end of the
current year? How many shares are issued and outstanding at the end of
the current year? - Is there more than one class of common stock? If so, what is the name of each class of common stock?
- Is there any preferred stock? If so, what is the dividend rate on
the preferred stock, as a percentage of the par value of the preferred
stock? - Did the company pay dividends on the common stock during the most
recent reporting year? If so, what was the total amount of dividends
paid and how much were they per share? - Does the company have any treasury stock? If so how much?
- Has the company issued a stock dividend or a stock split over the
past three reporting years? If so, what percentage and in what year or
years? - Does the company’s common stock have par value? If it does, what is the par value?
- Did the common stockholders buy back a significant amount of shares
in the current year? You can see this in the Statement of Stockholders’
Equity as a reduction in shares. - Does the company have any marketable securities at the end of the
year? How many dollars of marketable securities? How are they
classified? Short-term, long-term, or both? - How much cash did the company use to purchase marketable securities
during the current year, if any? Where did you look to find this
information? - Is the total amount of cash flows from operations the exact same
amount regardless of whether the direct or the indirect method is used?
Explain. - How about the Financing and Investing Cash Flow sections? Are they
the exact same regardless of whether the direct or the indirect method
is used? - Which method, the direct or indirect method, was used to report
cash flows from operating activities? How can you be sure about this?
Include in your answer the first three items in the Cash From Operations
section. - What is the major use of cash in the Cash From Investing Activities section?
- What is the major source of cash in the Cash From Investing Activities section?
- Are there any sources of cash in the Cash From Financing Activities section? What are they?
- Has the company paid cash dividends during the last three years? How do you know?
Deliverable to the Client: Summary and Investment
Recommendation
Prepare a business memo addressed to the client summarizing your
analysis and comparison of both companies and providing a recommendation
on investing in one of the companies.
- Write 2–4 pages in a professional format appropriate for the information you are presenting.
- Make sure you have answered all of the provided questions and
computations in your analysis. If a question or computation does not
apply, there should be a statement within your memo stating that the
aspect does not apply and why. For example: “Based on the review of the
XYZ Company, there were no dividends paid for the year ending 20XX.” - Include support for your conclusions and investment recommendation.
Cite your own analysis and comparison of the companies, the companies’
financial statements, and other references of your choosing.
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