USING DOW JONES INTERACTIVE

TO PERFORM FINANCIAL RATIO ANALYSIS

by H. Christine Hsu


H. Christine Hsu CHU@csuchico.edu is a Professor of Finance in the Department of Finance and Marketing, College of Business, California State University, Chico.


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INTRODUCTION

Financial ratio analysis is an important topic and is covered in all mainstream corporate finance textbooks. It is also a popular agenda item in investment club meetings. It is widely used to summarize the information in a company's financial statements in assessing its financial health. In today's information technology world, real time financial data are readily available via the Internet. Performing financial ratio analysis using publications, such as Robert Morris Associates’ Annual Statement Studies, Dun & Bradstreet’s Key Business Ratios, Moody’s Manuals, Standard & Poor’s Corporation Records, Value Line Investment Survey, etc., is no longer efficient. Since students and investors now have easy access to on-line databases, the assignments on financial ratio analysis can be modified accordingly to enhance learning. Based upon my experience as a finance professor and as a member of a local investment club, I have prepared this  teaching note to help students and investors in performing financial ratio analysis via an on-line database, Dow Jones Interactive. This database is a Web based, enterprise wide business news and research solution supported by Dow Jones & Company, the parent company of The Wall Street Journal.  The class assignment presented herein is designed to demonstrate how to assess a company's overall operations over time and its current financial standing in the industry.

THE FINANCIAL RATIO ANALYSIS ASSIGNMENT

Students will work on the assignment collaboratively in groups of three or four students. Each group will select an industry of interest to the group, and each student will select a company within that industry. Students will download the relevant financial data from the Internet and perform ratio analysis for the selected companies. Since successful financial ratio analysis is as much an art as it is a science, students must use common sense and sound judgment throughout the analysis. The purpose of this assignment is to provide students with the opportunity to:

TREND ANALYSIS

To evaluate how the selected company is performing over time, more than one year's financial ratios are required. Students are instructed to follow the path shown below to retrieve the financial profile for the selected company via Dow Jones Interactive. (The initial steps may differ depending on how your library's site is organized.)

Trend analysis provides signals as to whether the company's financial health is likely to improve or deteriorate. Each student will perform the trend analysis based upon the following financial ratios:

The downloaded four years' balance sheets and income statements are to be used to calculate the financial ratios not reported in the DJI. For example, four leverage ratios (Debt/Equity, LT Debt/ Cap, LT Debt/Tot Debt, and LT Debt/Tot Assets) are reported, but the interest coverage ratio (= earnings available for interest/interest expenses) is missing in the DJI. Students are required to obtain the earnings and interest expenses information from the income statements and calculate this ratio to measure the company's ability to service the debt. In the area of liquidity, current ratio (= current assets/current liabilities) and quick ratio (= quick assets/ current liabilities) are reported, but the interval measure (= quick assets/daily operating expenditures) is not. Students are required to obtain quick assets (= cash & equivalent + receivables) from the balance sheets and operating expenditures from the income statements, and calculate this ratio to measure how long the company can keep up with its bills using only existing quick assets. As the financial ratios in each of the five performance areas are compiled, they are analyzed across time. A sample trend analysis for Intel is presented (below) in Table 1. 

Table 1. Intel Trend Analysis
 

Performance Area

1998

1997

1996

1995

Trend

Leverage:

 

 

 

 

 

Debt % Tot Assets

25.7

33.2

28.9

30.6

Drop in leverage during 1998 

Interest Coverage 

269.7

395.8

318.4

195.4

Lower coverage during 1998 

Liquidity:

 

 

 

 

 

Current Ratio 

2.3

2.6

2.8

2.2

Lower liquidity since 1996

Quick Ratio 

1.0

1.3

1.6

1.3

Lower liquidity since 1996

Interval Measure (days)

63.8

90.8

115.3

86.4

Lower liquidity since 1996

Profitability:

 

 

 

 

 

Profit Margin (%)

23.1

27.7

24.7

22.0

Lower profitability during 1998

Return on Assets (%)

19.3

24.0

21.7

20.4

Lower ROA during 1998

Return on Equity (%)

26.0

36.0

30.6

29.4

Lower ROE during 1998

Efficiency:

 

 

 

 

 

Asset Turnover 

.835

.868

.878

.926

Lower efficiency since 1995

Receivables Turnover 

7.5

7.0

6.1

6.4

Increased efficiency since 1996

Inventory Turnover 

5.7

5.2

4.4

4.1

Increased efficiency since 1995

Market Value:

 

 

 

 

 

Price/Book Value 

8.41

5.92

6.37

3.83

Good market perceptions 

Du Pont Analysis

Since it is important to understand how the company's profitability, efficiency, and leverage are linked in its financial performance, students are required to demonstrate and evaluate its Du Pont system over time. The company's return on assets, ROA (=net income/assets), can be expressed as:

ROA = (Net Income/Revenue) * (Revenue/Assets) = Profit Margin * Asset Turnover

And the company's return on equity, ROE (=net income/equity), can be expressed as

ROE = (Net Income/Revenue) * (Revenue/Assets) * (Assets/Equity) = ROA * Equity Multiplier

Both the company's profitability (as measured in terms of profit margin) and efficiency (as measured in terms of asset turnover) determine its ROA. This ROA, along with the company's financial leverage (as measured in terms of  its equity multiplier), contributes to its ROE. As the company's use of leverage magnifies its ROE, students are required to examine ROE carefully. The changes in the company's ROE are to be noted and explained through its profit margin, asset turnover, and equity multiplier over time. The objective is to identify the company's strong area that can be capitalized upon and/or its weak area that must be improved upon. See Table 2 (below) for a sample Du Pont analysis for Intel. 

Table 2. Intel Du Pont Analysis
 

Item / Ratio

1998

1997

1996

1995

Evaluation

Net Income, $million 

(from Income statements)

6068

6945

5157

3566

 

Revenue, $million 

(from Income statements)

26273

25070

20847

16202

 

Assets, $million 

(from balance sheets)

31471

28880

23735

17504

 

Equity, $million 

(from balance sheets)

23377

19295

16872

12140

 

Profit Margin % 

(Net Income/Revenue)

23.1

27.7

24.70

22.0

Drop in profitability during 1998

Asset Turnover 

(Revenue/Assets)

.835

.868

.878

.926

Lower efficiency since 1995

Return on Assets % 

(Profit Margin* Asset Turnover)

19.3

24

21.7

20.4

Drop in ROA during 1998

Equity Multiplier 

(Assets/Equity)

1.35

1.50

1.41

1.44

Decrease in leverage during 1998

Return on Equity % 

(ROA* Equity Multiplier)

26.0

36.0

30.6

29.4

Sharp decline in ROE during 1998 

 

INDUSTRY COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

To explain the variation in the company's financial ratios over time, the industry comparative analysis must be performed along with the trend analysis. To evaluate the company's financial performance against its key competitors, the company-to- company comparison report is retrieved from the following path.

The financial ratios in each of the performance areas are then analyzed across companies in the industry/group. Students compare their company's financial ratios with those of its key competitors and determine whether managerial or environmental factors cause the trend of the company's financial performance. To further assess the company's financial standing in its primary industry, the company to industry comparison report is retrieved. (See below.)

The following specific industry norms are available in DJI and used as benchmarks in this analysis:

Students will report on how the company performs as compared to the industry norms and where the company stands relative to its competitors in the industry. The company's weak and/or strong areas of performance must be identified and recommendations for improvement presented. See Table 3 (below) for a sample industry comparative analysis for Intel.

Table 3. Intel Industry Comparative Analysis
 

Performance Area

Intel

AMD*

Semiconductors

Evaluation

Leverage:

 

 

 

Excellent

Debt/Equity (%)

3

73

19

Low leverage

Interest Coverage

269.7

-

20.8

High coverage

Liquidity:

 

 

 

Good

Current Ratio

3.2

1.7

2.8

Above average liquidity

Profitability:

 

 

 

Excellent

Profit Margin (%)

26.1

-0.9

11.1

High profitability

Return on Assets (%)

19.3

-2.4

7.2

High ROA

Return on Equity (%)

28.9

-

14.1

High ROE

Efficiency:

 

 

 

Good

Revenue/Assets

.86

.64

.82

Above average 

Market Value:

 

 

 

Good 

Price/Book Value 

8.41

2.10

6.04

High price to book

Price/Earnings 

36.3

-

67.3

Below average PE

Dividend Yield (%)

0.2

0.0

0.1

Average 

* AMD, Advanced Micro Devices,  is one of Intel's key competitors in semiconductors industry.

Go to additional Intel data.

CASE BRIEF AND PRESENTATION

To reinforce the teamwork effort, each group must submit a written report summarizing the ratio analyses of the companies in their industry. Students will work together and produce a group report that is concise and similar in style to an executive summary with no more than four typed pages plus exhibits. Each group will also give an oral presentation to brief the class on their analyses, their recommendations, and the limitations of their analyses. Charts and tables are required in the Power Point presentation.

SUMMARY

The incorporation of computer technology in finance classes has become more popular than ever in this information technology rich environment. Mediated classrooms have grown rapidly in numbers throughout universities worldwide. This teaching note demonstrates how finance professors, business students, and investment club members can take advantage of the changing environment to enhance learning. Students can easily retrieve a company's real time financial data via the Internet and analyze its financial performance over time. The assignment presented herein is designed to help students/investors learn how to assess the company's overall operations and its current financial standing in the industry through teamwork and state of the art computer technology. It can be used in any corporate finance classes and/or investment clubs.

REFERENCES

Bodie, Z. and R.C. Merton. Finance (2000), Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Brealey, R.A. and S.C. Myers. Principles of Corporate Finance (2000), 6th Edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Brealey, R.A., S.C. Myers and A.J. Marcus. Fundamentals of Corporate Finance (1999), 2nd Edition, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Brigham, E.F. and J.F. Houston. Fundamentals of Financial Management (1999), Concise 2nd Edition, The Dryden Press.

Brigham, E.F., L.C. Gapenski and M.C. Ehrhardt. Financial Management: Theory and Practice (1999), 9th Edition, The Dryden Press.

Gitman, L.J. Principles of Managerial Finance (2000), 9th Edition, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc.

Keown, A., J.W. Petty, D.F. Scott and J.D. Martin. Foundations of Finance (1998), 2nd Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Ross, S.A., R.W. Westerfield and B.D. Jordan. Essentials of Corporate Finance (1999), 2nd Edition, Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

Ross, S.A., R.W. Westerfield and J. Jaffe. Corporate Finance (1999), 5th Edition, Irwin/McGraw-Hill.

Scott, D.F., J.D. Martin, J.W. Petty and A. Keown. Basic Financial Management (1999), 8th Edition, Prentice-Hall, Inc.



APPENDIX 1. FINANCIAL PROFILE

Data current through 10/06/1999

INTEL CORP
2200 Mission College Blvd.
Santa Clara, California 95052-8119
Telephone: (408) 765-8080
Fax: (408) 765-1596

Dow Jones Industry Group: Semiconductors

Business Description: Designs, develops, manufactures and markets microcomputer components and related products at various levels of integration. Its principal components consist of silicon based semiconductors etched with complex patterns of transistors.

Primary SIC: 3674
Stock Symbol: INTC
Exchange: NASDAQ
CEO: Craig R. Barrett
Employees: 64,500
Auditors: Ernst & Young LLP
Latest Report: Unqualified

Balance Sheet Statement ($ Mil)
 

Fiscal Year End

Assets

12/1998

12/1997

12/1996

12/1995

Cash & Equivalent

2,038.0

4,102.0

4,165.0

1,463.0

Receivables

3,527.0

3,438.0

3,723.0

3,116.0

Inventories

1,582.0

1,697.0

1,293.0

2,004.0

Other Cur Assets

6,328.0

6,630.0

4,503.0

1,514.0

Total Cur Assets

13,475.0

15,867.0

13,684.0

8,097.0

Gr Fixed Assets

21,068.0

18,127.0

14,262.0

11,792.0

Accum Depr 

9,459.0

7,461.0

5,775.0

4,321.0

Net Fixed Assets

11,609.0

10,666.0

8,487.0

7,471.0

Oth Non-Cur Asset

6,387.0

2,347.0

1,564.0

1,936.0

Tot Non-Cur Asset

17,996.0

13,013.0

10,051.0

9,407.0

Total Assets

31,471.0

28,880.0

23,735.0

17,504.0

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

Accounts Payable

1,244.0

1,407.0

969.0

864.0

Short-Term Debt

159.0

322.0

389.0

346.0

Other Cur Liab

4,401.0

4,291.0

3,505.0

2,409.0

Total Cur Liab

5,804.0

6,020.0

4,863.0

3,619.0

Long-Term Debt

702.0

448.0

728.0

400.0

Defer Inc Taxes

1,387.0

1,076.0

997.0

620.0

Oth Non-Cur Liab

201.0

2,041.0

275.0

725.0

Tot Non-Cur Liab

2,290.0

3,565.0

2,000.0

1,745.0

Total Liabilities

8,094.0

9,585.0

6,863.0

5,364.0

Preferred Equity

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Common Equity

23,377.0

19,295.0

16,872.0

12,140.0

Retained Earnings

17,952.0

15,984.0

13,975.0

9,557.0

Total Equity

23,377.0

19,295.0

16,872.0

12,140.0

Tot Liab & Stk Eq

31,471.0

28,880.0

23,735.0

17,504.0

Income Statement ($ Mil)
 

Fiscal Year End

12/1998

12/1997

12/1996

12/1995

Revenues/Sales

26,273.0

25,070.0

20,847.0

16,202.0

Cost of Sales

9,337.0

7,753.0

7,276.0

6,432.0

Gr Oper Profit

16,936.0

17,317.0

13,571.0

9,770.0

S, G & A Expenses

5,585.0

5,238.0

4,130.0

3,139.0

Op Prof bef Depr

11,351.0

12,079.0

9,441.0

6,631.0

Deprec & Amort

2,807.0

2,192.0

1,888.0

1,379.0

Oper Inc aft Depr

8,544.0

9,887.0

7,553.0

5,252.0

Other Income, Net

792.0

799.0

406.0

415.0

Inc Avail for Int

9,171.0

10,686.0

7,959.0

5,667.0

Interest Expense

34.0

27.0

25.0

29.0

Pretax Income

9,137.0

10,659.0

7,934.0

5,638.0

Income Taxes

3,069.0

3,714.0

2,777.0

2,072.0

Net Inc Tot Ops

6,068.0

6,945.0

5,157.0

3,566.0

Special Inc/Chrg

-165.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Normalized Income

6,233.0

6,945.0

5,157.0

3,566.0

Total Net Income

6,068.0

6,945.0

5,157.0

3,566.0

Preferred Div

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Net Inc Avail Com

6,068.0

6,945.0

5,157.0

3,566.0

Key Financial Ratios
 

Fiscal Year End

12/1998

12/1997

12/1996

12/1995

Book Value P/S

7.05

5.93

5.14

3.70

Price/Book Val (%)

841

592

637

383

Debt/Equity (%)

3

2

4

3

LT Debt % Inv Cap

2.9

2.3

4.1

3.2

LT Debt % Tot Dbt

8.7

4.7

10.6

7.5

Debt % Tot Assets

25.7

33.2

28.9

30.6

Quick Ratio

1.0

1.3

1.6

1.3

Current Ratio

2.3

2.6

2.8

2.2

Revenue/Assets (%)

80.0

90.0

90.0

90.0

Price/Revenue (%)

748

456

516

288

Cash % Revenue

7.8

16.4

20.0

9.0

Pre-Tax Mgn (%)

34.8

42.5

38.1

34.8

Post-Tax Mgn (%)

23.1

27.7

24.7

22.0

Eff Tax Rate (%)

33.6

34.8

35.0

36.8

Receivable Turn

7.5

7.0

6.1

6.4

Inventory Turn

5.7

5.2

4.4

4.1

Ret on Equity (%)

26.0

36.0

30.6

29.4

Ret Invest Cap (%)

25.2

35.2

29.3

28.4

Ret on Assets (%)

19.3

24.0

21.7

20.4

Key Competitors: 3Com Acer AMD Atmel Cisco Systems EDS Fujitsu Harris Corporation Hitachi IBM Integrated Device Technology Lucent Macronix International Mitsubishi Electric Motorola National Semiconductor NEC Nortel Networks Philips Electronics Samsung Electronics STMicroelectronics Sun Microsystems Texas Instruments Toshiba

Data Source: Media General Financial Services
Used with permission from Dow Jones Interactive



APPENDIX 2. COMPANY TO COMPANY COMPARISON REPORT

Data current through 10/06/1999
 

 

 

 

INTEL CORP

ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES


Price Change

 

Latest Week

2.7 % 

12.7 % 

Last 4 Weeks

-11.9 % 

-10.4 % 

Last 13 Weeks

16.1 % 

14.4 % 

Last 52 Weeks

83.6 % 

28.0 % 

YTD

29.8 % 

-33.0 % 


Change vs S&P 500

 

Latest Week

99 % 

109 % 

Last 4 Weeks

90 % 

91 % 

Last 13 Weeks

123 % 

121 % 

Last 52 Weeks

136 % 

95 % 

YTD

120 % 

62 % 


Price Range ($)

 

Latest Close

76.94 

19.44 

52-Week High

89.50 

33.00 

52-Week Low

40.75 

14.56 

5-Year High

89.50 

48.50 

5-Year Low

6.34 

10.25 


Relative Price

 

P/E Ratio

36.3 

NE 

P/E, 5-Yr Avg High

24.1 

NC

P/E, 5-Yr Avg Low

12.2 

NC 

Price/Book Value

841 % 

210 % 

Price/Revenue

903 % 

106 % 


Price Action

 

Beta

1.25 

1.64 


Volume

 

Shares Latest Week

58,668,800 

8,122,000 

$ Latest Week

4,500,263,000 

152,453,000 

% of Shares Out

1.77 % 

5.52 % 

Liquidity Ratio

906,964,100 

14,871,200 

On-Balance Index

50 % 

95 % 


Revenue

 

12 Months ($Mil)

28,194.0 

2,701.4 

Fiscal Year ($Mil)

26,273.0 

2,542.1 

Change Last Qtr

13.8 % 

13.0 % 

Change YTD

16.1 % 

14.9 % 


Earnings

 

12 Months ($Mil)

7,371.0 

-25.2 

EPS 12 Months($)

2.12 

-0.18 

EPS Fiscal Year($)

1.73 

-0.72 

Change EPS Qtr

54.5 % 

NE 

Change EPS YTD

56.5 % 

NE 

Change EPS 12 Mos

30.9 % 

NE 

5-Yr Ann EPS Growth

24.9 % 

NC 


Dividends

 

Indicated Rate($)

0.12 

0.00 

Dividend Yield

0.2 % 

0.0 % 

5-Yr Annual Growth

19.06 % 

NC 

Payout Ratio

4 % 

NC 

Payout Last 5 Years

4 % 

NC 

Last Ex-Dividend

11/03/1999 

04/27/1995 


Ratios

 

Profit Margin

26.1 % 

-0.9 % 

Return on Equity

28.9 % 

NE 

Return on Assets

19.3 % 

-2.4 % 

Revenue/Assets

86 % 

64 % 

Debt/Equity

3 % 

73 % 

Interest Coverage

269.7 

NC 

Current Ratio

3.2 

1.7 


Shareholdings

 

Market Value ($Mil)

254,509 

2,861 

Latest Shares Out

3,308,000,000 

147,211,000 

Insider Net Trading

-60,000 

-18,667 

Short Int Ratio

1.8 Days

5.5 Days 

Fiscal Year Ends

12/1998 

12/1998 

 

 

Data Source: Media General Financial Services
Used with permission from Dow Jones Interactive



APPENDIX 3. COMPANY TO PRIMARY INDUSTRY COMPARISON REPORT

Data current through 10/06/1999
 

 

 

 

INTEL CORP

SEMICONDUCTORS

Price Change

 

Latest Week

2.7 % 

6.0 % 

Last 4 Weeks

-11.9 % 

-9.5 % 

Last 13 Weeks

16.1 % 

4.9 % 

Last 52 Weeks

83.6 % 

106.4 % 

YTD

29.8 % 

29.2 % 


Change vs S&P 500

 

Latest Week

99 % 

103 %

Last 4 Weeks

90 % 

92 % 

Last 13 Weeks

123 % 

111 % 

Last 52 Weeks

136 % 

153 % 

YTD

120 % 

120 % 


Price Range ($)

 

Latest Close

76.94 

58.58 

52-Week High

89.50 

65.91 

52-Week Low

40.75 

28.29 

5-Year High

89.50 

65.91 

5-Year Low

6.34 

10.38 


Relative Price

 

P/E Ratio

36.3 

67.3 

P/E, 5-Yr Avg High

24.1 

32.4 

P/E, 5-Yr Avg Low

12.2 

17.3 

Price/Book Value

841 % 

673 % 

Price/Revenue

903 % 

687 % 


Price Action

 

Beta

1.25 

1.53 


Volume

 

Shares Latest Week

58,668,800 

323,557,900 

$ Latest Week

4,500,263,000 

18,770,692,000 

% of Shares Out

1.77 % 

2.80 % 

Liquidity Ratio

906,964,100

3,175,400,000 

On-Balance Index

50 % 

61 % 


Revenue

 

12 Months ($Mil)

28,194.0 

97,374.4 

Fiscal Year ($Mil)

26,273.0 

90,467.4 

Change Last Qtr

13.8 % 

22.9 % 

Change YTD

16.1 % 

17.5 % 


Earnings

 

12 Months ($Mil)

7,371.0 

10,808.0 

EPS 12 Months($)

2.12 

0.87 

EPS Fiscal Year($)

1.73 

0.71 

Change EPS Qtr

54.5 % 

150.0 % 

Change EPS YTD

56.5 % 

59.3 % 

Change EPS 12 Mos

30.9 % 

22.5 % 

5-Yr Ann EPS Growth

24.9 % 

-9.8 % 


Dividends

 

Indicated Rate($)

0.12 

0.06 

Dividend Yield

0.2 % 

0.1 % 

5-Yr Annual Growth

19.06 % 

0.92 % 

Payout Ratio

4 % 

6 % 

Payout Last 5 Years

4 % 

3 % 

Last Ex-Dividend

11/03/1999

 


Ratios

 

Profit Margin

26.1 % 

11.1 % 

Return on Equity

28.9 % 

14.1 % 

Return on Assets

19.3 % 

7.2 % 

Revenue/Assets

86 % 

82 % 

Debt/Equity

3 % 

19 % 

Interest Coverage

269.7 

20.8 

Current Ratio

3.2 

2.8 


Shareholdings

 

Market Value ($Mil)

254,509 

677 

Latest Shares Out

3,308,000,000 

11,557,097,000 

Insider Net Trading

-60,000 

-2,525,608 

Short Int Ratio

1.8 Days 

2.0 Days 

Fiscal Year Ends

12/1998 

12/1998 

 

 

Data Source: Media General Financial Services
Used with permission from Dow Jones Interactive


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