The October 15, 2002, issue of the Wall Street Journal included an article by Jesse Drucker entitled
Question:
The October 15, 2002, issue of the Wall Street Journal included an article by Jesse Drucker entitled "Motorola's Profit: 'Special' Again?" (Subscribers to Business Ex- tra can find the article at that site.) Instructions Read the article and answer the following questions.
(a) For how many consecutive quarters, including the quarter anticipated in the article, has Motorola reported a "special" item on its income statement? What is the total amount of these special charges over this period?
(b) What justification does Motorola give for reporting these charges as special items on its income statement, rather than reporting them as ordinary expenses?
(c) In the second quarter of 2002, what was Motorola's pro forma income, and what was its net income according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP)?
(d) According to the article, do Wall Street analysts give more attention to GAAP income or pro forma income? Do analysts agree on how to treat special charges, such as those of Motorola?
AppendixLO1
Step by Step Answer:
Financial Accounting Tools For Business Decision Making
ISBN: 9780471691952
3rd Edition
Authors: Paul D. Kimmel, Jerry J. Weygandt, Donald E. Kieso