JWI 530 Strayer University Balance Sheet Analysis Paper The discussion questions for Weeks 2 – 4 are designed to help teach you to derive meaning from fina

JWI 530 Strayer University Balance Sheet Analysis Paper The discussion questions for Weeks 2 – 4 are designed to help teach you to derive meaning from financial statements. Each week you will select a line item and use Variance Trend Analysis to make some initial assessments about how the company is performing. Collectively, as a class we will seek to find the “story behind the numbers.”

Let’s start applying what you have learned to a real-life Balance Sheet.

Locate and post a screen shot of a Balance Sheet from the investor relations section of the website from the latest fiscal year for one of the following companies:
FedEx
Target
Pick a Balance Sheet line item from the following list:
Accounts Receivable
Inventory
Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E)
Accounts Payable
Long-Term Debt
Total Equity
Retained Earnings
What does this line item measure and why is it important item for Management to understand this number?
From the Balance Sheet, identify the Current Year and the Previous Year closing amounts for your line item. Share these with the class using a data table similar to the below:

Jack’s Toy Shop

(In thousands)

2018

2017

Inventory

$336.2

$304.5

Answer the following questions:
Has the amount for the line item increased or decreased, and by how much (dollar and/or percentage)?
Is this a “good” thing or a “bad” thing for this company?
What might this mean for the organization?
What might management do to improve this line item? Balance Sheet Analysis
The discussion questions for Weeks 2 – 4 are designed to help teach you to derive meaning from financial statements. Each week you
will select a line item and use Variance Trend Analysis to make some initial assessments about how the company is performing.
Collectively, as a class we will seek to find the “story behind the numbers.”
Let’s start applying what you have learned to a real-life Balance Sheet.
1. Locate and post a screen shot of a Balance Sheet from the investor relations section of the website from the latest fiscal year for
one of the following companies:
o FedEx
o Target
2. Pick a Balance Sheet line item from the following list:
o Accounts Receivable
o Inventory
o Property, Plant, and Equipment (PP&E)
o Accounts Payable
o Long-Term Debt
o Total Equity
o Retained Earnings
3. What does this line item measure and why is it important item for Management to understand this number?
4. From the Balance Sheet, identify the Current Year and the Previous Year closing amounts for your line item. Share these with the
class using a data table similar to the below:
Jack’s Toy Shop
(In thousands)
2018
$336.2
2017
$304.5
Inventory
5. Answer the following questions:
• Has the amount for the line item increased or decreased, and by how much (dollar and/or percentage)?
– Is this a “good” thing or a “bad” thing for this company?
– What might this mean for the organization?
o What might management do to improve this line item?

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