Task: Review of Financial Statements-Delta Airlines and Dell Computers
You are attending a managerial meeting, within your publicly held company, to hear a proposal for a possible corporate merger with a competitor. After a brief discussion, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) conducts a slide presentation showing the competitor's financial statements. Some of your colleagues have little or no financial background. You have decided to further their understanding by conducting a financial comparison of two publicly traded companies.
Select two publicly traded companies (Delta Airlines and Dell Computers). Prepare a paper, using the assigned reading(s), Electronic Reserve Readings (ERR), the Internet, and/or other sources, to provide an introductory overview of the financial statements addressing the following:
a. Provide a brief overview of each company and highlight key information that is available on each statement, including the following items for each company chosen:
1) What is the company's product or service?
2) When was the company established?
3) What accounting firm audited its financial statements?