1. Consider the costs/harms and benefits of disclosing non-GAAP financial numbers. What value, if any, do you see in the use of non-GAAP metrics?
2. What responsibilities do auditors currently have related to the use of non-GAAP measures by their attest cli- ents? What responsibilities do you think they should have? Be specific.
3. Do you believe that GE is attempting to manage earnings by disclosing five different non-GAAP measures? Explain.
4. If you were a financial analyst looking at GE's metrics in Exhibit 1, what questions would you ask and why?