Obtain industry averages for each firm from Reuters.com (www.reuters.com/finance/stocks). Enter the stock symbol in the field under “Search Stocks,” select the company from the list, and then click the “Financials” button.

a. Compare each firm’s ratios to the available industry ratios for the most recent year. (Ignore the “Company” column as your calculations will be different.)

b. Analyze the performance of each firm versus the industry and comment on any trends in each individual firm’s performance. Identify any strengths or weaknesses you find in each firm.