Business Accounting Assignment
Use the attached files to complete the assignement.
Purpose of Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to allow the students an opportunity to complete their financial evaluation of a company using the financial research database Plunkett Research Online. Plunkett Research Online provides in-depth analysis of a company's financials, comparisons to industry averages, a list of top executives, how the company compares to other competitors in terms of revenue, number of employees, market capitalization and other key financial metrics.
Assignment Steps
Resources: Plunket Research Online located in the Week 3 Electronic Reserve Readings; Microsoft® Excel®
Access the the Plunkett Research database in the University Library by following these steps:
1. Click on the University Library link.
2. Click "Company Directories and Financials" under Library Resources.
3. Click "Plunkett Research Online" under Company Directory and Financials.
4. Review the following "HOW TO USE" videos:
o Plunkett Research Online Overview
o How to Export Company and Exec. Lists
o How to Build-a-Report
o How to Use Industry Analytics
o How to Research an Industry
o How to Use Company Profiles
5. Click "Research A Company."
6. Select a company (i.e. Walmart) and input into the Search Box.
7. Scroll through the search results to choose the correct company.
8. Click the link to the company profile (in blue).
Review the Company Profile and answer the following questions in Microsoft® Word:
• What is the Ticker Symbol for the company you have selected?
• When was the company established?
• How many employees does it have?
• What is the NAICS Code?
• Who is the CEO?
• Where does the company rank in terms of Total Revenue when compared to its competitors?
• Where does the company rank in terms of Net Income when compared to its competitors?
• Where does the company rank in terms of Return on Assets when compared to its competitors?
• What is the Revenue in 2014 and 2015?
• What was the Gross Margin in 2014 and 2015?
• What was the Earnings per Share in 2014 and 2015?
Save the Company Profile as a PDF document.
Compare the 2015 Company Financials to the Industry Averages and export the results into a Microsoft Excel document.
Add a new column in your Microsoft Excel document titled "Change" and calculate the difference between the company's 2015 financial results and the industry averages.
Explain in 1,050 words how the company you selected compares to the industry averages in terms of financial profitability, liquidity and solvency, and why the difference is important. Also review the financial statements over the last three years, and discuss any positive and negative trends would you report to the company's management.
Submit the calculations as well as the explanation.