a. Assume that Pennant and the Wood Group, two operators of nursing homes, have fiscal years that end at different times—say, one in June and one in December. Would this fact cause any problems when comparing ratios between the two companies?

b. Assume that two companies that operate walk-in clinics both had the same December year-end, but one was based in Aspen, Colorado, a winter resort, while the other operated in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, a summer resort. Would their locations lead to problems in a comparative analysis?