Nestlé Group is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, selling 10,000 different products ranging from milk and dairy, to chocolate and pet food. Access a copy of the company's comparative financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2012, from the company's website (www.nestle.com).
Instructions
(a) Prepare a summary report of Nestlé's cash activities during its year ended December 31, 2012, and 2011, at the subtotal level of operating, investing, and financing activities, and a comparative report for the preceding fiscal year. Are there major differences at this level between the two periods? Explain. How is the company using any excess operating cash flows after investing activities?
(b) Identify what major differences there are between the company's accrual-based income and its cash flow from operating activities over the past two years.
(c) Prepare a short report summarizing Nestlé's investing cash transactions and its financing cash transactions for 2012.
(d) How has the company classified interest paid, interest received, income taxes paid, dividends received, and dividends paid? What were the amounts for these items during 2012?