Company Analysis

Topic: Company Analysis
Use one of the following links (or multiple sites) below to research a company that begins with the same letter as your last name (e.g., someone with the last name Henderson could choose Hercules Offshore, Inc.).

Google Finance (finance.google.com) – To find such a company, begin by entering letters in the search bar. Click on the company you choose when it appears. A Summary page will appear. In the left column, you will see a link to Financials (if you don’t see this link, choose a larger company). Click on this link and then click on Annual Date. From the Income statement you can detect trends in revenue, gross profit, operating income, net income, and dividends per share. You can find other useful data on the Balance Sheet and Cash Flow statements.

Yahoo Finance (finance.yahoo.com) – Once at the site, enter your company’s ticker symbol and click Search. Below the price of your stock, you will see links for Summary, Statistics, Financials, and Analysts. These will provide valuable information also.

Reuters (www.reuters.com) – Once at the site, Near the top right, click on the magnifying glass icon. The icon will move to the left side of the screen. Enter your stock’s ticker beside the icon and then click on the icon. On the screen that appears, click on your company’s name right below NEWS. Click on Financials. On this screen, you will see ratios for your company and for the Industry in which your company operates. The ratios relate to Valuation, Dividends, Profitability, etc. You can use these ratios to compare your company with the industry.

In your thread, describe the industry conditions, the financial position of the company (relative to the industry and the company as a whole), the economic outlook of the company, and why you as a potential investor would or would not invest in this company. In determining your answer, please be sure to address some of the key financial indicators that helped to determine your decision to invest or not to invest. Please note that while you are giving your opinion, you should avoid using first person.