TABLE 2.1 Profitability measures for some of the world's largest companies, 2017

CompanyMarket capitalizationa

($ billion)Net income

($ billion)ROSb

(%)ROEc

(%)ROAd

(%)Return to shareholderse (%)

Apple82448.426.939.016.3+46.8

Amazon6893.02.39.63.1+27.4

Alibaba4806.229.821.99.1+94.1

JPMorgan Chase39724.450.29.51.4+24.6

ExxonMobil35819.75.211.85.75.8

Wal mart31013.64.114.911.9+45.2

Toyota20415.87.613.24.1+5.8

2. Table 2.1 compares companies according to different profitability measures.

a.Which two of the six performance measures do you think are the most useful indicators of how well a company is being managed?

b.Is return on sales or return on equity a better basis on which to compare the performance of the companies listed?

c.Several companies are highly profitable yet delivered very low returns to their shareholders during 2017. How is this possible?