2017. Assets Net Income Liabilities Cost of Sales Equity Gross Profit ($ millions) Sales Comcast Corporation. ... $ 84,526 Apple Inc. 229,234 Nike Inc... 34,350 Target Corporation. 71,879 Harley-Davidson Inc. 4,915 $59,142 88,186 15,312 20,754 1,653 $22,900 48,351 4,240 2,934 522 $ 25,384 141,048 19,038 51,125 3,262 241,272 10,852 27,290 $186,949 $117,500 375,319 23,259 38,999 9,973 8,129 $ 69,449 134,047 12,407 11,709 1,844 a. Suggest a reason for this result. REQUIRED Which companies report the highest ratio of income to assets (net income/total assets)? Compare and discuss how these companies finance their operations. b. Which companies have the highest estimated ROE? Is this result a surprise? Explain. P2-50. Comparing Operating Characteristics Within an Industry Selected data from Hewlett-Packard Company at October 31, 2017, follow. c. Cost of Sales Gross Profit Net Income Assets Liabilities Equity ($ millions) Sales $52,056 $42,478 Hewlett-Packard. $9,578 $2,526 $32,913 $36,321 $(3,408) REQUIRED a. b. Using the data for Apple Inc. in P2-49, compare and discuss the two companies on the basis of how they finance their operations. Which company reports the higher ratio of income to assets (net income/total assets)? Suggest a reason for this result. Which firm has the higher gross margin (gross profit as a percentage of sales)? What factor might account for the difference? C