Use finanical ratios to identify companies and discuss the reasons of your choices.

Companies:

Clothing Retailer/Department Store - Nordstrom

Internet Technology - yahoo

Computer Networks and Software - CISCO

Electronics Manufacturing - Siemens

Airline Company

Steel Manufacturing industry

Common size balance sheet / financial ratios

	Frim1	Firm2	Firm3	Firm 4	Firm 5	Firm 6
Cash & Marekt Securities	10.0%	49.5%	20.4%	0.5%	10.5%	0.9%
Receivables	20.6%	4.9%	7.1%	13.9%	1.7%	24.9%
Inventories	17.5%	1.5%	1.1%	14.4%	--	18.7%
Fixed Assets/PPE	39.9%	3.1%	57.5%	9.2%	2.4%	36.1%
Intagibles	0.9%	3.1%	1%	4%	0.0%	--
Goodwill	--	23.1%	--	17%	8.3%	4.7%
Investment in a Affiliated Co's	3.7%	--	3.8%	2%	69.3%	---
Other assets	4.7%	0..9%	0.1%	21%	--	2.7%
Other current assets	1.9%	7.9%	0.7%	9.1%	1.1%	3.9%
Total Assets	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Accounts Payable	19.7%	1%	13.2%	4.2%	0.4%	14.4%
Short Term debt	12.1%	0.5%	0.3%	1.6%	--	0.1%
other current liabilities	7.2%	17.4%	10.4%	26.1%	6%	15.8%
long term debt	23.2%	19.4%	4%	18.4%	1.9%	33.8%
deferred charges	1%	8.2%	8%	0.6%	28%	6.6%
common stock	15.4%	30.8%	8.2%	7.8%	13.7%	26.3%
Treasury stock	-0.1%	--	-1.2%	-3.6%	-1.1%	--
Other long term liability	4.8%	1.7%	3.3%	16.1%	0.2%	4%
Maturity interest	2.9%	0	1.5%	0.5%	0.1%	0.0%
Retained earnings	14.1%	13.4%	51.4%	24.5%	14.4%	1.8%
Other comp income	0.1%	0.8%	--	0.8%	36.5%	0.7%
Total Liablilities	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Gross margin	15.8%	58.9%	--	28.9%	72.3%	37.8%
Operating margin	6.3%	19.8%	1.7%	10.2%	3.1%	0.8%
profit margin	3.8%	16.7%	2.4%	7.5%	162.9%	5.3%
SGA/sales	9.5%	24.3%	98.3%	14.5%	39.2%	20%
R&D expenses/sales	--	13.4%	--	5.7%	26.1%	--
interest expense/sales	1%	1.2%	0.2%	1.1%	1.5%	1%
receivable days	94	40	38	74	82	62
inventory days	95	30	6	108	--	75
total debt/total assets	67.9%	46.1%	40%	70%	37.4%	73.6%
sales/total assets	0.80	0.45	0.67	0.69	0.07	1.46
return on assets %	3.1%	7.5%	1.6%	5.1%	12.1%	7.8%
financial leverage	3.1	1.9	1.7%	3.3	1.6	3.8
return on equity %	10.5%	13.9%	2.7%	17.4%	19.4%	29.5%