Important information concerning a company’s operating performance can be found in its income statement and statement of financial position (balance sheet). Using the search mechanism of your choice, locate the most recent annual report of Martin Marietta Materials, Inc., and respond to the following.

Instructions.
a. Briefly state the nature of Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.’s operations.
b. Find the company’s balance sheet and determine the following: the number of outstanding shares of common stock and the average price at which those shares were originally sold.
c. What is the relationship between the current market price and the amount you have calculated in part b as the average price at which the stock originally sold?
d. Find the company’s income statement and identify the trend in basic earnings per share, including discontinued operations. Did discontinued operations have a significant impact on EPS?
e. For the most recent year, what is the average number of shares of common stock that was used to compute basic earnings per share? Why is that number different from the number outstanding in the company’s balance sheet?