Accounting for Decision-Makers

Compare two drug companies - Merck, a U.S. company, and Novartis, a Swiss company. The annual reports for these companies are attached. Download the two PDF files and save them to your computer. As you review these two 2016 annual reports, you will see some differences in presentation between the U.S. company and the Swiss company, because Merck uses U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Novartis uses International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The companies present the same information, just in different formats.

You do not need to read every word in these two annual reports, but you should scan through them to see the different things reported. Then, answer the following questions and compute the following ratio and trend analysis for the two companies.

Prepare a 3 page narrative report (including exhibits) in Microsoft Word with at least 2 scholarly sources. You will embed Microsoft Excel spreadsheets with your calculations into your Word document. Follow the attached templates and answer each required item. When narrative explanation is required, use complete sentences in your paper and citations in APA format.

1. Find the balance sheet for each company (2016 Merck; Novartis PDF files above). Enter the following numbers for each company into the Excel template provided and explain in the narrative what these numbers tell you about the companies.

• Accounting equation: Total Assets = Total Liabilities + Total Equity

2. Find the income statement for each company (2016 Merck; Novartis PDF files above).  Enter in the net income for each company from the income statement into the Excel template and discuss what this number tells you about the companies in the narrative.

• Net Income

3. For each company, find the statement of equity and locate the Retained Earnings (2016 Merck; Novartis PDF files above). Enter the number into the Excel template and discuss what this number tells you about each company in the narrative.

• Ending Retained Earnings

4. Using the Excel template calculate the ratios below for each company for 2016 and 2015.  Note, some calculations will require you to go back to the 2014 statements when you are asked for an average (those have been provided also).

• Current Ratio


• Quick Ratio


• Debt to Total Assets


• Debt to Total Equity


• Net Profit on Sales


• Return on Assets 


• Return on Equity

In the narrative compare the results of the two companies and discuss what these results indicate to you as a manager and how they may be used in decision making.

5. Prepare a common size trend analysis using the Excel template provided for each company from 2015 to 2016.

In the narrative discuss what these trends might indicate to you as a manager and how they can be used in decision making.

6. After using the two sets of financial statements to prepare the items above, discuss in the narrative any differences you see between the presentation of the two sets of reports. For example, what are the differences in the balance sheet presentation? The income statement? The statement of equity? The statement of cash flows?  In your opinion, which set of statements do you find easier to work with as a manager for analysis and why?

How to submit this assignment

Submit your work in a Word document using the attached templates. Your Excel tables should be embedded in the Word document.