Unit 2 Discussion - Accounting II

Unit 2 Discussion

Discussion Topic

Annual Reports of the Coca-Cola® Company and Walmart®

For this week's Discussion, you will review the annual reports of the Coca-Cola Company and Walmart, two of the largest publicly traded firms in America.

Coca-Cola and Walmart Receivable Comparison

Compute and compare the accounts receivable turnover ratios for Coca-Cola and Walmart. Indicate all numbers you used to calculate the ratio.

What constitutes a "reasonable" accounts receivable turnover ratio? What characteristic(s) of these companies would indicate that these ratios are reasonable?

(Back up your answers with facts and cite website and text references used.)

An article recently appeared in the Wall Street Journal indicating that companies are selling their receivables at a record rate. Why might Coca-Cola and Walmart sell their receivables?

Coca-Cola

Visit the Coca-Cola website. You will need to find the financial information and the annual reports.

• At the site, click your mouse on "Company Information" (bottom of the page); under the "Resources" section
• Then, locate "Investors" at the top of the page
• On the drop-down menu next to "Investors", under the title "The Coca-Cola Company", select "Investors Info: Financial Reports & Information."
• Choose the most current annual report. Note in the Discussion Board which year's information you used. You will need to scroll through the annual report to find the information you need to answer the questions. Remember what you learned in Accounting I about financial statements to help you find what you need.

Walmart

Go to the Walmart website. Remember what you earned in Accounting I about financial statements to help you find what you need.

• Scroll to the bottom of the Walmart homepage.
• Under the "Get to know us" column, select the link "Our Company"
• Select the link "Investors"
• Then select the "Annual Reports" under the Quick Links area
• Finally, select the "2017 Annual Report" PDF link.

Respond using the information from the website visits. Take the time to review the responses of your classmates and provide your feedback.

Source: The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved from https://us.coca-cola.com/

Source: Walmart. Retrieved from https://www.walmart.com/