Go on the Internet and do some research on Apple Inc. and its industry. Use a popular website such as Yahoo! Finance (Links to an external site.). You may consider using the Google Finance (Links to an external site.) web page, or Business Insights: Global database located in the UAGC Library. You may refer to the Find Your Company’s Industry Overview In Business Insights Global Download Find Your Company’s Industry Overview In Business Insights Globalguide for tips on how to use the resource. Additionally, review the consolidated financial statements and filings section of Apple Inc. given in Appendix A, as well as Part I, Item 1 (Business) of Apple Inc.’s annual report on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Links to an external site.) website. Describe the industry and two of Apple Inc.’s competitors. Using the information you have gathered, determine the financial health of Apple Inc. Use the following questions in making your determination: Predict projections for Apple Inc.’s future growth. Select one item on the company’s consolidated statements of operations to increase year after year, supposing you own stock in Apple Inc. Explain why this item is so important. (Did this item increase or decrease during fiscal year 2016? Is this good news or bad news for the company?) Identify what Apple Inc.’s largest expense was in 2014–2016. Explain the meaning of this item in your own words. Relate specific examples of items that make up this expense. Use the Consolidated Balance Sheets of Apple Inc. in Appendix A to answer the following questions: Identify how much in total resources did Apple Inc., have to work with at the end of fiscal 2016. Identify how much the company owed. Identify how much of its assets that the company’s stockholders actually own. Write Apple Inc.’s accounting equation at September 27, 2016 using these amounts. Identify how much cash and cash equivalents Apple Inc. had on September 28, 2015. Identify how much cash and cash equivalents Apple Inc. had on September 27, 2016.
