Reviewing an Annual Report

Your team (3-4 students) will first choose and then be assigned one of the following industries (based on your choice):

• Retail: Home Improvement
• Retail: Power Retailing
• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Tourism: Theme Parks
• Airlines
• Food: Beverages

Within each of these industries, specific companies have been chosen for review. Again, you will be asked to choose and be assigned one of the companies within your chosen industry:

• Retail: Home Improvement
1. The Home Depot, Inc.
2. Lowe's Companies, Inc.
• Retail: Power Retailing
1. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
2. Target Corporation
• Aerospace
1. Boeing
2. Lockheed Martin
3. Northrop Grumman Corporation
• Automotive
1. Ford Motor Company
2. General Motors Corporation
• Tourism: Theme Parks
1. The Walt Disney Company
2. Universal Studios, Inc.
• Airlines
1. Delta Airlines
2. Southwest Airlines
3. UAL
• Food: Beverages
1. The Coca-Cola Company
2. PepsiCo

Next obtain a copy of its most recent annual report. Go to Guide to Researching Companies and use the Internet resources listed there to download the information you need. (You can usually download annual reports directly from the company's Website.)

Consolidate the information in the company's report to produce a two to four page document of your own. Your team's report should include a description of the company's progress in the last year (minimum 250 words), a spreadsheet(s) with any data you deem relevant, and at least two charts in support of the spreadsheet or written material.

For some guidance on reading annual reports, go to:

• Tips for Reading Annual Reports for Investors

Formatting is important and you are expected to present the information in an attractive manner. A corporate logo at the beginning of the document would be a nice touch.

Include a title page so that your submission to me consists of three to five pages in all (the title page and the two to four page report).

Go back to Dr. Hansen's Marketing Decision-Making Syllabus.