Running head: The Economy, Monetary Policy, and Monopolies The Economy, Monetary Policy, and Monopolies Shalanda Massenburg Professor Lloyd Amaghionyeodiwe ECO100 December 4, 2012 Analyze the current economic situation in the U.S. as compared to five years ago. Include interest rates, inflation, and unemployment in your analysis. The United States is the most advanced countries in the world. There has been a downfall in the number of houses being sold; interest rates have hit rock bottom, and a record weakening in the federal budget balance. All this is due to the downward fall in the economy.
Such a decline (and such a low percentage) indicates that management is not efficient in employing the company’s assets to make a profit. Also, the Return on Capital Employed had an even more significant decline – from 15.6% in Year 12 to (29.9%) in Year 14. This indicates very poor performance for FBN. In order for FBN to become profitable (efficiently, that is) ROCE should be higher than the rate at which the company borrows. In FBN’s case, their long-term debt ratios alone are 55.7% and 81.5% in years 12 and 13, respectively (and they’ve incurred interest rate increases); and ROCE in the same two years is 15.6% and 6.4%.
over the 3-year period from 2003 to 2005. Total assets dropped $1 million, or 3%, but remain near $35 million. The most notable asset change is the $500,000, or 8%, decrease in accounts receivable. However, cash did increase $200,000 which gives the company the opportunity for business investment in the coming fiscal year (“University of Phoenix,” 2006). A positive trend shows that total liabilities have dropped $1.7 million, which is accounted for by a $2 million, or 42%, decrease in long-term debt.
An instantaneous examination of income statements reads that there were strong sales figures with a worth around $70 billion sales per year. Nonetheless, there was something that caught my eye in 2009, which was the critical drop in sales paralleled to previous years. In 2009 Home Depot net sales plummeted approximately 7.8% compared to the net earnings that were dejected in 48.5% in 2009. In the 2009, dividends were declared quarterly at $0.22500 per share while in July the market price was roughly $28.51 per share. Notwithstanding increasing dividends and a moderately stable share price, the home improvement retail industry remains to struggle due to the fragmentary world wide economic complications.
They also faced increased operational expenses of selling, general, and administrative costs by 0.49%. Perhaps the biggest impact on their profit margin is the cost of revenues that were associated with their sales, an increase of 0.92% which affected their EBITDA (Earnings before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortization). Overall, these show operating expenses as a key issue for the company as the operating income shrank by 2.72% in just a two year period. When analyzing the whole foods balance sheet in common size it shows they have been reducing their short term debt. In 2007, they reduced their current installments of long-term debt by 0.76%, accounts payable by 1.61%, and other current liabilities by 1.35% in just a year as portion of their Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity.
If the cash is higher than the net income, the company’s net income is of high quality. If the cash is lower than the net income, the company’s net income is not turning into cash and a red flag should go up. Having more cash than the net income can mean shareholders will receive an increase in dividends can reduce debt, buy back stocks, or purchase another company. According to, the cash flow statement Home Depot, Incorporated is similar to fiscal year 2007. In fiscal year 2008, Home Depot Incorporated generated $5.5 billion of cash flow from operations and used $2.0 billion to repay short-term debt and other obligations plus $1.8 billion for capital expenditures and $1.5 billion in dividends.
During 2004, the situation got worse and the assets had gone down to 48.5%. Lucent’s cash and cash equivalents went down from 24% of their entire assets in 2003 to almost 20% in 2004. Lucent’s inventories, however, came up from 4.0% in 2003 to 4.8% in 2004, this is about a 20 percent increase in the total inventory. Lucent Technologies had a quite significant drop of their debt structure between the years of 2003 and 2004. While the current liability dropped from 25.6% in 2003 to 24.3% in 2004, it is apparent that this company has allocated for this as a long-term debt since it rose from 23% of total liabilities in 2003 to 26.4% in 2004.
The company has exceeded its goal of more than 50 new product launches during 2009. The company had segment operating income of $275 million in the third quarter of 2009, up from $266 million in the 2008 third quarter and $24 million in 2009’s second quarter. Compared to the prior year, third quarter 2009 segment operating income reflects continued weak industry demand, which resulted in a negative volume impact of $64 million and under-absorbed fixed costs of approximately $107 million. The 2009 quarter benefited from $207 million in lower raw material
CFO is larger than net income each year due to the noncash charges of depreciation and amortization. In 2008, net income is negative, but CFO is still positive as $1,879 million due to the one time goodwill impairment charges. Inventory has decreased from 2006 to 2008, after its acquisition of May in 2005. Receivables also decreased each year, which maybe a sign that the company’s receivable quality has improved. Macy’s decreased its purchase of inventory and property and equipment and decrease disposition of property and equipment year by year.
Being that these types of assets are From significant parts of savings, this is a logical argument. 1982 to 1989, the Dow Jones Average went from 884 to 2,509 which drastically increased capital assets’ values. There was an impressive drop in the unemployment rate during Reagan’s administration as well. 17 million new jobs were created and the unemployment rate fell from 9.7% to 5.5% by the time Reagan’s presidential term ended (Niskanen & Moore 1996). The hours worked by working aged adults grew during