Research Assignment
Locate a publicly traded U.S. company of your choice. Then, calculate the following ratios for the company for 2012 and 2013:
• Liquidity Ratios
o Current ratio [current assets / current liabilities]
o Quick ratio [(current assets - inventory) / current liabilities]
• Asset Turnover Ratios
o Collection period [accounts receivable / average daily sales]
o Inventory turnover [cost of goods sold / ending inventory]
o Fixed asset turnover [sales / net fixed assets]
• Financial Leverage Ratios
o Debt-to-asset ratio [total liabilities / total assets]
o Debt-to-equity ratio [total liabilities / total stockholders' equity]
o Times-interest-earned (TIE) ratio [EBIT / interest]
• Profitability Ratios
o Net profit margin [net income / sales]
o Return on assets (ROA) [net income / total assets]
o Return on equity (ROE) [net income / total stockholders' equity]
• Market-Based Ratios
o Price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio [stock price / earnings per share]
o Price-to-book (P/B) ratio [market value of common stock / total stockholders' equity]
You are now ready to interpret the ratios that you have calculated. If a ratio increased from 2012 to 2013, why do you think that it increased? Is it a good or bad sign that the ratio increased? Please explain.
If a ratio decreased from 2012 to 2013, why do you think that it decreased? Is it a good or bad sign that the ratio decreased? Please explain.
If a ratio was unchanged from 2012 to 2013, why do you think that it was unchanged? Is it a good or bad sign that the ratio was unchanged? Please explain.