As a team, select an industry to analyze. Reuters provides lists of industries under Sectors and Industries at www.reuters.com. (Click on an industry and then select Company Rankings for a list of members of that industry.) Each team member should acquire the annual report or 10-K for one publicly traded company in the industry, with each member selecting a different company. (Library files, the SEC EDGAR service at www.sec.gov , or the company itself are good sources.)

Required:
On an individual basis, each team member should write a short report answering the following questions about the selected company. Discuss any patterns across the companies that you as a team observe. Then, as a team, write a short report comparing and contrasting your companies.
1. For the most recent year, what are the top three asset accounts by size? What percentage is each of total assets? (Calculated as Asset A ÷ Total Assets)
2. What are the major investing and financing activities (by dollar size) for the most recent year? (Look at the Statement of Cash Flows.)
3. Ratio Analysis:
a. What does the current ratio measure in general?
b. Compute the current ratio for each of the last three years. (You may find prior years’ information in the section of the annual report or 10-K called “Selected Financial Information,” or you may search for prior years’ annual reports.)
c. What do your results suggest about the company?
d. If available, find the industry ratio for the most recent year, compare it to your results, and discuss why you believe your company differs or is similar to the industry ratio.