1-How do accountants and financial managers differ in their use of financial information? Why is cash flow more significant to a financial manager than it is to an accountant?
2- What are the costs and benefits of holding liquid securities on a firm’s balance sheet? Provide an example.
3- The purpose of this assignment is to analyze an annual Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) report and perform research to evaluate the financial strength, efficiency, and effectiveness of an organization.
Select a publicly traded company and submit it to your instructor for approval.
Find the company’s 10-k in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website (SEC.gov).
Read and analyze the “Management Discussions and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” sections of your selected company’s annual report (10k). Other sources of information include the company’s website or news publications.
Based on the information in the company’s financial statements,
calculate one relevant ratio from each of the following four categories, providing a comparison (trend, cross-sectional, or industry comparative analysis):
· Liquidity
· Asset management
· Financial leverage
· Profitability
Refer to the “Company Financial Analysis Project Template.” Using your ratios and research,
write a 750-1,000 word analysis, providing an assessment of the following items:
· Include the company’s challenges, strategies, growth plans, product changes, and mission statement alignment.
· Discuss recent trends in the company’s stock price.
· Evaluate the overall financial strength of the company.
· Based on your findings, provide an evaluation of the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization.
Include a minimum of three credible sources.One must be from the
Wall Street Journal, and one must be the company’s 10-K.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies:
3.1: Use financial statements in order to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of an organization.
5.3: Evaluate budgeting and accounting reports to determine the financial strength of an organization or financial proposal.