Financial Ratio Analysis A financial ratio by itself tells us little about a company because financial ratios vary a great deal across industries. There are two basic methods for analyzing financial ratios for a company: Time trend analysis and peer group analysis. In time trend analysis, you find the ratios for the company over some period, say five years, and examine how each ratio has changed over this period. In peer group analysis, you compare a company’s financial ratios to those of its peers. Why might each of these analysis methods be useful? What docs each tell you about the company’s financial health?
To discuss: Usefulness of time trend analysis and peer group analysis and their aspects on the company’s financial health.
Introduction:
Peer group analysis compares the operating performances and financial ratios of specific firms to a set of peer group companies within the similar business line or industry.
Time trend analysis compares the financial statement of the company’s historical data with that of forecasted data.
Explanation of Solution
Peer group analyses are the companies with same set of interest and characteristics and it compares the financial ratios of the company to its peers. Peer group analysis provides a comparison with the other peer groups with respect to operating performance and financial ratios. This will lead the financial managers to evaluate whether the investment, finance, operations of the firm goes beyond the norms and brings some actions or guidance to rectify them.
Time trend analysis compares its own historical data with the forecasted data. This helps the financial managers to evaluate whether the investment, finance, and operations of the firms are changed.
On the other hand, both these methods evaluate the company’s performance from the perspective of finance but have not a clear picture whether it is positive or negative.
Time trend analysis and peer group analysis indicates the difference with respect of the investment, finance, operations of the firm and does not indicate whether it is good or bad to the company. Hence, it is useful to know the financial health of the company.
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Chapter 3 Solutions
CORPORATE FINANCE - LL+CONNECT ACCESS
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A list of the 12 companies and a brief description of their activities follow. A. Amazon.com: Operates websites to sell a wide variety of products online. The firm operated at a net loss in all years prior to that reported in Exhibit 1.22. B. Carnival Corporation: Owns and operates cruise ships. C. Cisco Systems: Manufactures and sells computer networking and communications products. D. Citigroup: Offers a wide range of financial services in the commercial banking, insurance, and securities business. Operating expenses represent the compensation of employees. E. eBay: Operates an online trading platform for buyers to purchase and sellers to sell a variety of goods. The firm has grown in part by acquiring other companies to enhance or support its online trading platform. F. Goldman Sachs: Offers brokerage and investment banking services. Operating expenses represent the compensation of employees. G. Johnson Johnson: Develops, manufactures, and sells pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, and branded over-the-counter consumer personal care products. H. Kelloggs: Manufactures and distributes cereal and other food products. The firm acquired other branded food companies in recent years. I. MGM Mirage: Owns and operates hotels, casinos, and golf courses. J. Molson Coors: Manufactures and distributes beer. Molson Coors has made minority ownership investments in other beer manufacturers in recent years. K. Verizon: Maintains a telecommunications network and offers telecommunications services. Operating expenses represent the compensation of employees. Verizon has made minority investments in other cellular and wireless providers. L. Yum! Brands: Operates chains of name-brand restaurants, including Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut. 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A list of the 12 companies and a brief description of their activities follow. A. Abercrombie Fitch: Sells retail apparel primarily through stores to the fashionconscious young adult and has established itself as a trendy, popular player in the specialty retailing apparel industry. B. Allstate Insurance: Sells property and casualty insurance, primarily on buildings and automobiles. Operating revenues include insurance premiums from customers and revenues earned from investments made with cash received from customers before Allstate pays customers claims. Operating expenses include amounts actually paid or expected to be paid in the future on insurance coverage outstanding during the year. C. Best Buy: Operates a chain of retail stores selling consumer electronic and entertainment equipment at competitively low prices. D. E. I. du Pont de Nemours: Manufactures chemical and electronics products. E. Hewlett-Packard: Develops, manufactures, and sells computer hardware. The firm outsources manufacturing of many of its computer components. F. HSBC Finance: Lends money to consumers for periods ranging from several months to several years. Operating expenses include provisions for estimated uncollectible loans (bad debts expense). G. Kelly Services: Provides temporary office services to businesses and other firms. Operating revenues represent amounts billed to customers for temporary help services, and operating expenses include amounts paid to the temporary help employees of Kelly. H. McDonalds: Operates fast-food restaurants worldwide. A large percentage of McDonalds restaurants are owned and operated by franchisees. McDonalds frequently owns the restaurant buildings of franchisees and leases them to franchisees under long-term leases. I. Merck: A leading research-driven pharmaceutical products and services company. 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