1. What are the Company's three operating segments?
2. For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2012, for the Walmart International segment, in what three foreign countries did the Company have the greatest number of stores? How many stores were located in each of these three countries? What was the total square footage of the stores in each of these countries?
3. What is the breakdown of net sales by Merchandise Category Unit for the Sam's Club segment for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2012? Compare this information to that for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2011.
4. Using information presented in the five-year financial summary, calculate the percentage increase in net sales, gross profit margin, operating income, diluted income per share from continuing operations attributable to Walmart, dividends per share, inventories, and unit counts for the Walmart U.S. segment from the fiscal year ended January 31, 2008 to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012. (Do not include percentage increases for interim years). Show your calculations and round your percentages to two decimal places.
5. Read the Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MDA). The MDA summarizes three performance metrics for improving shareholder value. List the metrics and how each one is used to evaluate the impact on shareholder value. Based upon the metrics discussed in the first part of your response, comment on Wal-Mart's performance for the year ending January 31, 2012. (Your answer to this question should be roughly one page, double spaced, in length.)
6. For how many years does the Company present its financial statements that are part of the Form 10-K? Are the balance sheets that are presented classified or not? What does it mean for a balance sheet to be classified? Answer the first question by completing the table below; answer the last two in the space below the table.
7. In absolute dollars, what are the five largest individual line items on the Company's income statement for the year ending January 31, 2012? (Hint: Subtotals and totals [e.g., operating income or net income] should not be included in your answer to this question.)
8. What is the weighted average number of share used to calculate (a) basic and (b) diluted earnings per share for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012? For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011?
9. Does Wal-Mart present comparative balance sheets? What is the benefit of providing comparative financial statements? (Note: Your answer to this question should be no more than a couple of sentences.)
10. Using the Company's balance sheet as of January 31, 2012, accumulate the necessary information to complete the table below. Round your percentages to two decimal places.
11. Calculate the Company's working capital and its current ratio (rounded to four decimal places) as of at January 31, 2012 and 2011? Show your calculations. Then comment on whether the Company's liquidity showed improvement at the end of fiscal 2012 relative to the end of fiscal 2011? Use the table provided to present answers to the first question. Answer the second question in the space below the table. (Note: Your commentary should be no more than a couple of sentences.)
12. Identify two of the Company's competitors and access the Form 10-Ks for these two competitors for their most recent fiscal year ends. Using the information you find, calculate the working capital and current ratio (rounded to four decimal places) for the competitors at their most recent fiscal year end and their next most recent fiscal year end. Show your calculations and use the table provided to summarize the required information. When submitting this assignment, attach copies of the competitors' balance sheets that you used to complete this question. Then comment on the competitors' working capital and current ratios in comparison to the Company's working capital and current ratio. Use the space below the table for these comments. (Note: Your comments should be no longer than one paragraph.)
13. Does the Company use the direct or indirect method to determine its cash flows from operating activities for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012? How do you know?
14. Complete the table below using the Company's Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the year ending January 31, 2012. (Hint: Subtotals and totals [e.g., income from continuing operations] should not be included in your answer to this question.)
15. How much cash did the Company receive from its disposal of property and equipment during the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012?
16. How much cash did the Company pay in dividends to its shareholders during the fiscal year ending January 31, 2012? How much cash did the Company pay to reduce its capital lease obligations?
17. How much did Wal-Mart pay in income taxes and interest in its year ending January 31, 2012?
18. For the fiscal year ending January 31, 2012, did the Company have a net increase or decrease in cash and cash equivalents?
19. To what number should the "Cash and cash equivalents at end of year" of $6,550 in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012 tie? Does it?
20. What were the dividend amounts per share for the fiscal years ending January 31, 2010, January 31, 2011, and January 31, 2012, respectively? What will the dividend amount be for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2013?
21. For the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012 by how much did the "Change in minimum pension liability" affect "Other comprehensive income"?
22. Summarize the Company's inventory policy and its policy related to property and equipment and depreciation. Include the amount of depreciation expense for fiscal years 2012, 2011and 2012 as well as the estimated useful lives for major categories of property, plant and equipment in your answer. (Note: you may cut-and-paste your answer if you choose).
23. How much interest cost was capitalized for fiscal years 2012, 2011, and 2010, respectively?
24. How is the goodwill that is reported on the Consolidated Balance Sheet for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2,012 broken down among the Company's operating segments?
25. How does the Company recognize revenue from shopping cards? How does the Company recognize revenue from membership fees? (Note: you may cut-and-paste your answer if you choose).
26. What does the Company say about its use of estimates? (Note: you may cut-and-paste your answer if you choose).
27. What was the Company's effective income tax rate for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2012? Is this rate more or less than the effective income tax rate for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2011?
28. As of the end of the most current fiscal year, January 31, 2012, how much does the company expect its total minimum payments under non-cancelable operating leases to be in the future? How does this amount compare to the total liabilities recognized on the Company's balance sheet at January 31, 2012? (Note: Your answer to this second question should be no more than two sentences.)
29. What public accounting firm audits the Company's financial statements? What type of audit opinion did the auditors issue for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011? Is there any component of the annual report to shareholders that is designated as "Unaudited"?
30. What are the two distinct reports issued by the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm that are found in the Annual Report to Shareholders?
31. What does the Company say in its "Management's Report to Our Shareholders" about the "preparation, integrity and objectivity" of the information found in the Annual Report to Stockholders? (Note: you may cut-and-paste your answer if you choose).
32. What does the Company's say in its "Management's Report to Our Shareholders" about the composition and role of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors? (Note: you may cut-and-paste your answer if you choose).
33. When and where was the Company's 2012 annual shareholders' meeting held?
34. List the six proposals included in the Proxy Statement that were to be voted on by the shareholders. Of the three shareholder proposals included in the Proxy Statement, how many did the Company's Board of Directors recommend that the shareholders vote: (a) for the proposal and (b) against the proposal?
35. Provide a breakdown of fees paid by the Company to its independent public accounting firm, Ernst & Young, in fiscal 2012 and fiscal 2011? Was any category of fees less for fiscal 2012 than it was for fiscal 2011? What are the "audit-related fees"? Answer the last two questions below the table. (Note: you may cut-and-paste the answer to the last question if you choose).
36. Who was the Company's highest paid executive for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2012? What was this individual's total compensation for the fiscal year ending January 31, 2011? What percentage of this individual's total compensation for fiscal 2012 consisted of: (a) salary, (b) stock awards and (c) option awards? Round your percentages to two decimal places. Did this executive's total compensation go up or down from the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011 to the fiscal year ended January 31, 2012? Compare the increase or decrease in the executive's total compensation to the Company's performance from fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2012. Use the table provided to answer the first three questions. Answer the final two questions in the space after the table. (Note: Your answer to the last question should be no more than two or three sentences.)
37. For the same two competitors identified above in Question #12 above, access Proxy Statements for the most recent fiscal year end. Use the information in these Proxy Statements to complete the table below. When submitting this assignment, attach copies of the competitors' executive compensation tables from the Proxy Statements that you used to complete this question. Comment on the compensation structure of Wal-Mart's highest paid executive in comparison to the compensation structure of the highest paid executive for the most recent fiscal year at the two competitor companies you identified. Provide these comments in the space after the table. (Note: Your comments should be no more than one paragraph.)