Begin by choosing two competing publicly traded companies from the list below.

1. Coca-Cola and PepsiCo
2. Home Depot and Lowe's
3. Walmart and Target
4. Nike and Adidas

Review the competing companies ratios provided at the MSN Money website http://www.msn.com/en-us/money. For the pair of companies selected, you will need to use each companys stock symbol to locate the liquidity, solvency, and profitability ratios on the MSN Money website. As part of your research, you will need to identify each companys stock symbols prior to accessing the website, as this information will not be provided to you.

Once you know each companys stock symbol, begin by entering the appropriate company symbol in the Quote Search search box on the MSN Money website. Under the Analysis heading, use the Growth, Profitability, Price Ratios, Financial Health, Trading Statistics, and Management Effectiveness information to complete a 750-1,000 word comparison addressing the following:

1. Evaluate each companys liquidity relative to its competitor, then compare both companies to the industry averages.
2. Evaluate each companys solvency relative to its competitor, then compare both companies to the industry averages.
3. Evaluate each companys profitability relative to its competitor, then compare both companies to the industry averages.