EACH DISCUSSION SHOULD BE AT LEAST 100 WORDS

Unit 5 Discussion
Topic 1: Critical Analysis of Financial Statement Data

In this weeks Discussion, you will be comparing the financial statements of two companies. Please select from the following list:

Wal-Mart
Kmart
Target
Carrefour Group
Tesco plc.
To locate the financial statements, go to the Investors section of the company website and access the most recent annual report. Be sure when you are comparing the companies, the annual report selected is for the same year. Once you have made your selection, please answer the following:

What are the differences and similarities between their income statements?
What are the differences and similarities between their balance sheets? What classifications are presented?
Locate the notes to the financial statements and highlight some of the notes you found that would be of interest to investors about each company.

Unit 6 Discussion
Topic 1: Usage of Financial Statements in Business Decisions

Assume that you recently accepted a position with Stockman National Bank as an assistant loan officer. As one of your first duties, you have the responsibility of evaluating a loan request for $90,000 from Goldworks.com, a small proprietorship. In support of the loan application, Yolanda Tovar, owner, submitted a trial balance for the first year of operations ended March 31, 2010.

See attached for the trial balance.

Use the trial balance to answer the questions.

Explain to Yolanda Tovar why a set of financial statements (income statement, statement of owners equity, and balance sheet) would be useful to you in evaluating the loan request.
In discussing the Trial Balance with Yolanda Tovar, you discovered that the accounts had not been adjusted at March 31. Analyze the Trial Balance and indicate possible adjusting entries that might be necessary before an accurate set of financial statements could be prepared.
Assuming that an accurate set of financial statements will be submitted by Yolanda Tovar in a few days, what other considerations or information would be required before making a decision on a loan request?
You noted that Goldworks.coms trial balance is prepared through March 31, 2010. Why would the business close out its year on this date? What factors could influence this selection?