Interpret whether the trend for each ratio is an improvement or a decline in performance for the company.

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• Make a table that lists each ratio as either a strength or a weakness in the most current year, based on its trend and your interpretation.
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• Determine the overall financial strength of the company based on the ratios identified as either strengths or weaknesses.
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  • Consider all of the ratios discussed so far. Is the company's strength the fact that the debt management ratios are improving? Or is it that the liquidity ratios are increasing? Is the company's weakness that the turnover ratios are declining? Or is the company's weakness that debt management ratios are weakening?
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  • Categorize the company's overall ratio performance as either strong, neutral, or weak, based on your determination from the ratios.
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Summarize the trends in Apples ratio performance over the 3 most recent years. Be sure to address the following ratios included in Appendix C:

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• Profitability ratios: ROA, ROE, return on investment (ROI).
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• Liquidity ratios: quick ratio, current ratio.
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• Debt management ratios: long-term debt to equity, total debt to equity, interest coverage ratio.
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• Asset management ratios: total asset turnover, receivables turnover, inventory turnover, and accounts payable turnover.
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• Per share: book value per share.
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•  Compare your chosen company's ratio performance to the industry competitor ratios in the most recent year based on Appendix D. Be sure to address the following ratios included on Appendix D:

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• Profitability ratios: ROA, ROE, gross margin, and net margin.
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• Liquidity ratios: quick ratio and current ratio.
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• Debt management ratios: long-term debt to equity, total debt to equity, and interest coverage ratio.
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• Asset management ratios: asset turnover and inventory turnover.
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• Made a table that lists each ratio as either higher or lower than the average ratio for the competitors in the industry.

Categorize the company's overall financial performance as either better than average, average, or worse than average compared to the industry based on the ratios.

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• Interpret which ratios are the most important and explain your reasoning.
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• Justify your conclusion based on the table you created, your interpretation of which ratios are the most important, and the company's overall ratio performance compared to the industry competitors.
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