The most effective method of directly evaluating the financial performance of a firm is to compare the financial ratios of the firm to:

A) those of the largest conglomerate that has operations in the same industry as the firm.

B) those of other firms located in the same geographic area that are similarly sized.

C) the firms ratios from prior time periods and to the ratios of firms with similar operations.

D) the average ratios of the firms international peer group.

E) the average ratios of all firms within the same country over a period of time.