Accounting III-Using Accounting Information in Decision Making

 Select any small to medium sized publically traded company and use the financial statements from these company (you can get these financial statements by going into Google finance, Yahoo finance, company’s annual statements, or some financial data bases in the library). You are a new accountant of this publically traded company. Your manager has asked you to analyze the company’s current financial position. Using the company’s most recent financial statements complete the following questions. Once you complete the calculations you will receive enough information to answer the questions and write your paper.

Calculate and show work for each ratio:

· Liquidity ratios

o Current ratio

o Acid-test, or quick, ratio

o Receivables turnover 

o Inventory turnover

· Profitability ratios

o Asset turnover

o Profit margin

o Return on assets

o Return on common stockholders’ equity

· Solvency ratios

o Debt to total assets

o Times interest earned

Write a 3-5 page paper and discuss the following:

1. Complete vertical and horizontal analysis for the 2 most recent annual reports. 

2. Identify any areas if any that would cause concern in following US GAAP principles

3. How is this financial information useful to the management team in decision making?

4. Analyze the financial ratios and describe what they reveal about the company’s current financial position?

5. What does this financial information reveal about the company’s overall performance?

6. Based on the information available what recommendations would you have for continuous process improvements (i.e. investments in technology efficiencies, employee training, etc.)

7. As a publically traded company, what accounting ethical issues should the company consider?