PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS REGARDING Ralph Lauren CORPORATION

1. Show the change in Retained Earnings for the 2 most recent years. What was net income for each year? How much was paid out in dividends each year?
2. Were the dividends on common stock and/or preferred stock? What was the amount of each?
3. Did Retained Earnings change for any reasons other than net income or dividends? Explain.
4. What classes of stock does your company have?
5. How many shares of each class of stock are authorized, how many are issued, and how many are outstanding?
6. Does your company have any treasury stock? How many shares and what dollar amount?
7. What is the par or stated value of each of your companys stocks?

Footnote Disclosures:

8. How many footnote disclosures does your company have?
9. How many significant accounting policies are listed under its Summary of Significant Accounting Policies?
10. What does it include as Cash and Cash Equivalents?
11. What method does it use to value Inventory?
12. What method(s) does it use to depreciate its assets?
13. Does it have any leased assets? If yes, describe them.
14. What policies does it have in regard to Foreign Currency Translations?
15. Describe any pending lawsuits in which it is involved.
16. Provide its Earnings per Share for the 2 most recent years?

Report of the Independent Auditor(s):

17. Who is/are your companys auditor(s)?
18. Where are they located?
19. Does the auditor(s) give a qualified opinion, an unqualified opinion, a disclaimer of opinion, or an adverse opinion? What does that opinion mean? Is it good?
20. What is the auditors responsibility in regard to the financial statements?
21. What is managements responsibility in regard to the financial statements?
22. What financial statements were included in the auditors opinion?
23. Did the auditor believe that the statements were presented fairly?

Managements Report:

24. Who bears the responsibility for the integrity and the objectivity of the financial statements?
25. What does management say they are doing to assure the public that the financial information is reliable?
26. What is the responsibility of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors?

Analysis: (use Excel to complete this section)

27. Provide common-size analysis of your companys income statement and balance sheet for the 2 most recent years (must be done using Excel with formulas).
28. Provide horizontal analysis of your companys income statement and balance sheet, showing the dollar amount and percent of change using the 2 most recent years (you must use an Excel spreadsheet with formulas).
29. Perform ratio analysis on your company using the ratios listed in Exhibit 13.16 on page 505 of your text (these must be in an Excel spreadsheet, using formulas to calculate the ratios). You should present them in a similar format as the text: group by category, list name of ratio, formula in words, and the ratio calculation. Give a short explanation of your conclusions about your company after each category of ratios (i.e. How liquid is your company? How efficiently is it using its assets? etc.).

Conclusions:

30. Are you optimistic or pessimistic regarding the future of your chosen corporation? Explain.
31. Would you invest in the stock of the company? Explain.
32. Would you invest in the bonds of the company? Explain.