Financial Statement Analysis MCQs
Financial Statement Analysis MCQs
1. Which of the following is likely to be the most informative source if you were interested in a
company's business plan or strategy?
A. Auditor's letter
B. Management discussion and analysis
C. Proxy statement
D. Footnotes
Dividends=(RE2004+NI)−RE2005=(1,300,000+900,000)−2,000,000=200,000Dividend Ratio=200,000/900,000=22.2
%Dividend Ratio=200,000/900,000=
22.2%
C. 22.2%
4. If a company receives an unqualified audit opinion it means the auditors:
are providing assurance that the company's financial statements fairly present the company's
financial performance and position.
5. The Management Discussion and Analysis Section of the annual report:
A. is required by the SEC.
❖ You are analyzing a large stable company. For the year ending 12/31/05 the company
reported earnings of $58,900K and book value at the end of 2005 was
$371,700K. You expect earnings to grow at 5% a year in perpetuity, and the dividend payout ratio of
70% to continue. The company borrows at 8%, and has a cost of equity of 12%. The company has
25,000K shares outstanding.
6. What is your estimate of price per share using the dividend discount model at 12/31/05?
$24.74.
P=r−gD1
với D1=D0(1+g)=41,230×1.05=43,291.5KD1=D0(1+g)=41,230×1.05=43,291.5K
7. What is your estimate of price using the residual income valuation model at 12/31/05?
A. $20.62
B. $21.65
C. $23.56
D. $24.72
8. Which of the following is not a common tool used in financial statement analysis?
A. Random walk analysis
B. Ratio analysis
C. Common size statement analysis
D. Trend series analysis
9. A common size income statement would typically be prepared by dividing:
A. all items on income statement in Year t by their corresponding value in Year t-1.
B. all items on income statement in Year t by their corresponding balance sheet accounts in Year
t.
C. all items on income statement in Year t by net income in Year t-1.
D. all items on the income statement in Year t by sales in Year t.
❖ You have prepared a trend series for Company XYZ for three years, 2004-2006 inclusive,
using 2004 as the base year. Below are selected data.
13. While determining the most profitable company from the given number of companies, which
of the following would be the best indicator of relative profitability?
A. Highest return on equity
21. Given the following information, calculate the inventory turnover for ABC Co. for 2006 (pick
closest number).
B. 7.22
C. 6.93
D. 6.18
22. You have been provided the following information about Wert Inc.
C. 16.79%
D. 22.04%
29. Which of the following ratios does not relate to the market price of a company under
analysis?
A. Price-to-earnings
B. Earnings yield
C. Price-to-book
D. Return on common equity
32. Which of the following ratios would be considered useful in assessing operating profitability?
A. Debt/Equity ratio
B. Acid test ratio
C. Gross profit margin
D. Return on equity
33. How much would you be prepared to pay for a $500 bond which comes due in 5 years and
pays $80 interest annually assuming your required rate of return is 8% (pick closest answer)?
A. $740
B. $660
C. $608
D. $500
34. Fluno Corporation has 1 million shares outstanding at the end of fiscal 2005. Its stock is
trading at $15 per share. It issued $0.6 million in dividends, and had net income of $1million in fiscal
2005. At the end of 2005, its total assets, liabilities and retained earnings were $25 million, $15
million and $7.5 million, respectively. Fluno's price to book ratio and dividend yield ratios for 2005
are:
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
35. Which of the following statements regarding the intrinsic value of a company is correct?
A. It can be calculated as book value plus the present value of future expected dividends,
discounted at the cost of equity capital.
B. It can be calculated as present value of future expected dividends, discounted at the cost of
debt.
C. It can be calculated as present value of future expected residual income, discounted at the cost
of equity capital.
D. It can be calculated as book value plus the present value of future expected residual
income, discounted at the cost of equity capital
36. Two otherwise equal companies have significantly different dividend payout ratios. Which of
the following statements is most likely to be correct? The company with higher the dividend payout
ratio:
A. will have a higher inventory turnover ratio.
B. will have a lower inventory turnover ratio.
C. will have higher earnings growth.
D. will have lower earnings growth.
37. On January 1, 2005, Systil Corporation issues $50M 10 year bonds with a coupon rate of
10%. Interest is payable annually at the end of the year. If the required return on bonds of similar risk
at January 1, 2006 is 8%, what will be the price of the bonds be at this date?
A. $56.71M
B. $56.25M
C. $44.24M
D. $43.86M
39. Net income is expected to increase by 10% for the next year, and dividend payout ratio is
expected to remain constant. After 2006, retained earnings are expected to decrease to zero. Using the
residual income method, what is the value per share of Rivaz stock as of 12/31/05?
A. $15.25
B. $15.16
C. $14.38
D. $13.77
[35000 - 21225 + (3000*1.1 - (35000-21225)*.12)/1.12]/1000
40. Using the dividend discount model, assuming dividends grow at 10% per year for the next
two years and at 5% thereafter, what is the value per share of Rivaz Corporation at 12/31/05?
A. $16.61
B. $16.51
C. $16.42
D. $14.87
41. Assuming total assets grew by $5,000 from 2004 to 2005, what is the return on assets of
Rivaz Corporation for 2005?
A. 9.23%
B. 8.57%
C. 10.00%
D. 6.15%
If the students calculate this assuming annual payments (N=10, PMT=120, I=15%), they will get
answer B, not C. The correct solution is calculated with N=20, PMT=60 and I=7.5%. You may wish to
award half marks for answer B.
44. You wish to compare the performance of two companies. Which of the following statements
is most likely to be incorrect?
A. If the companies operate in different industries, this will hinder comparability.
B. The use of different accounting methods will hinder comparability.
C. If the companies are of significantly different sizes, this will hinder comparability.
D. If companies have different auditors, this will hinder comparability.
45. As of December 31, 2005, two otherwise identical companies in the same industry, East Co.
and West Co., have dividend payouts of 20% and 40%, respectively. Looking forward to one year,
which outcomes are least likely?
I. East Co. requires debt financing.
II. West Co. increases its dividend payout.
III. West Co.'s share price is twice that of East Co.
IV. East Co. repurchases outstanding shares.
A. I and II
B. II and IV
C. I, II and III
D. II, III and IV
46. Which of the following, if increased by 10%, results in a 10% higher stock price?
A. Dividend yield
B. Earnings yield
C. Net profit margin
D. None of the above
1. Which would be issued by auditors where there is a history of significant losses coupled with
uncertain prospects?
A. An "except for" qualification
B. An adverse opinion
C. A disclaimer of opinion
D. An audit warning
7. Which of the following statements about accruals and cash flows is false?
A. Company value can be determined by using accrual accounting numbers.
B. Accrual accounting numbers are subject to accounting distortions.
C. Cash flows are more reliable than accruals.
D. Cash flows cannot be manipulated.
8. The two primary qualities of accounting information to make it useful for decision making
are:
A. reliability and comparability.
B. relevance and reliability.
C. materiality and comparability.
D. full disclosure and relevance.
9. Financial accounting data has some inherent limitations. Which of the following are
limitations?
I. Not all economic events are easily quantifiable.
II. Many accounting entries rely heavily on estimates.
III. Historical cost can distort statements.
IV. Inflation can distort accounting data.
A. I, II and III
B. I, III and IV
C. II, III and IV
D. I, II, III and IV
10. Audit risk represents a danger to users of audited financial statements. The following are
attributes pointing to potential areas of vulnerability except
A. company in financial distress requiring financing.
B. management dominated by one or more strong-willed individuals.
C. deterioration in liquidity or solvency.
D. company earning high profits consistently over a number of years.
11. If a company fails to record a material amount of depreciation in a previous year, this is
considered:
A. a change in accounting principle.
B. an unusual item.
C. an accounting error.
D. a change in estimate.
12. Which of the following are examples of judgments made in the accounting reporting process?
I. Useful life of machinery
II. Allowance for doubtful accounts
III. Obsolescence of assets
IV. Interest payment on bonds
A. I, II, III and IV
B. I, II and III
C. II and III
D. I and III
13. Which of the following would affect the comparability of accounting information for a given
company from one accounting period to the next?
I. Change in accounting principles
II. Disposition of segment of business
III. Restructuring expenses
IV. Change in auditors
A. I and II
B. I and III
C. I, II and III
D. I, III and IV
14. Which of the following would affect the comparison of financial statements across two
different firms?
I. Different accounting principles
II. Different sizes of the companies
III. Different reporting periods
IV. Different industries
A. I, III and IV
B. I and IV
C. I and II
D. I, II, III and IV
❖ Byfort Company reports the following in its financial statements:
15. How much did the company collect in cash from debtors during 2006?
A. $445,389K
B. $454,611K
C. $484,289K
D. $488,900K
16. How much sales would have been reported by the company in 2006 if Byfort would have
been using cash accounting and not accrual accounting?
A. $445,389K
B. $454,611K
C. $484,289K
D. $488,900K
18. The management of Finner Company believes that "the statement of cash flows is not a very
useful statement" and does not include it with the company's financial statements. As a result the
auditor's opinion should be:
A. qualified.
B. unqualified.
C. adverse.
D. disclaimed.
27. If a company changes auditors, it is required to file the following with the SEC:
A. 10-K
B. 10-Q
C. 8-K
D. S-1
28. The primary responsibility for fair and accurate financial reporting rests with the:
A. board of directors.
B. SEC.
C. management.
D. auditors.
29. Which of the following is incorrect? When using the 10-Q, the analyst should be aware that
the usefulness of the quarterly financial statements might be affected by:
A. seasonality.
B. adjustments made in the final quarter of the year.
C. the use of cash accounting.
D. the increased use of estimates.
30. Voluntary disclosure by managers is becoming an increasingly important source of
information. Which of the following is least likely to be a reason for this increased disclosure?
A. Protection under Safe Harbor Rules.
B. To manage investors' expectations.
C. To signal information to investors.
D. To respond to increased demands by labor unions.
31. The two secondary qualities of accounting information to make it useful for decision making
are:
A. consistency and comparability.
B. relevance and reliability.
C. materiality and comparability.
D. full disclosure and relevance.
33. Which one of the following is not an example of a red flag, used to evaluate earnings quality?
A. Qualified audit report
B. Net income this year is higher than net income last year
C. Poor financial performance
D. Frequent or unexplained changes in accounting policies
37. To determine a company's sustainable earning power, an analyst needs to first determine the
recurring component of the current period's accounting income by excluding nonrecurring components
of accounting income. Such adjusted earnings are often referred to as:
A. core earnings.
B. permanent earnings.
C. basic earnings.
D. operating earnings.
39. SFAS prescribes that information about the level of inputs used for determining fair values
must be reported in the:
A. balance sheet.
B. director's letter.
C. footnotes.
D. MD&A.
1. The majority of financing for most companies comes from which of the following sources?
A. Owners and customers
B. Creditors and customers
C. Owners and managers
D. Creditors and owners
2. Which of the following would not be found listed as a liability on a company's balance sheet?
A. Operating lease obligations
B. Capital lease obligations
C. Bonds payable
D. Taxes payable
3. Which of the following would be found listed as a liability on a company's balance sheet?
A. Operating lease obligations
B. Projected benefit obligation
C. Purchase Commitment obligation
D. Postretirement benefits other than pension obligation
4. Which of the following is not a criterion for defining a lease as a capital lease?
A. Ownership is transferred by the end of the lease agreement.
B. The lease contains an option to purchase the asset at a bargain price.
C. The present value of the lease payments at the beginning of the lease is 75% or more
than the value of the asset. (Giá trị hiện tại của khoản thanh toán tiền thuê khi bắt đầu hợp đồng thuê
là từ 75% trở lên so với giá trị của tài sản)
D. The lease term is at least 75% of the economic life of the asset.
6. Recording a long-term lease as an operating lease, as opposed to a capital lease, for a lessee
will cause the following ratios to be:
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
7. If a company leases equipment to other companies and records these leases as operating
leases rather than capital leases, its:
I. recorded liabilities will be lower.
II. recorded assets will be higher.
III. total cash flows will be higher.
IV. leverage ratios will be higher.
A. I and III
B. II and IV
C. I only
D. II, III and IV B
8. If a company that leases equipment from another company records these leases as operating
leases rather than capital leases, its:
I. recorded liabilities will be lower.
II. recorded assets will be higher.
III. total cash flows will be higher.
IV. leverage ratios will be higher.
A. I and III
B. II and IV
C. I only
D. II, III and IV C
10. When considering defined benefit pension plans, which of the following will not increase the
projected benefit obligation (PBO)?
A. A decrease in the discount rate.
B. An increase in estimated compensation growth.
C. An increase in expected average length of lives of employees.
D. A decrease in the expected rate of return on plan assets. D
11. With respect to pension liabilities, which of the following statements are true?
I. The projected benefit obligation (PBO) is always greater than or equal to the accumulated
benefit obligation (ABO).
II. The vested benefit obligation (VBO) is always as least as or as big as the accumulated benefit
obligation (ABO).
III. If the PBO is greater than the plan assets, the plan is said to be overfunded.
IV. If the weighted-average assumed discount rate is increased, the PBO will decrease.
A. I, III and IV
B. I and III
C. II and IV
D. I and IV
12. The difference between the accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) and the projected benefit
obligation (PBO) is:
A. The PBO considers non-vested obligations and the ABO does not.
B. The PBO takes into account the time value of money and the ABO does not.
C. The PBO takes into account future pay increases and the ABO does not.
D. The PBO takes into account mortality rates of employees and the ABO does not
13. Hert Corporation acquired a capital lease that is carried on its books at a present value of
$100,000 (discounted at 12%). Its annual rental payment of $15,000. What is the amount of interest
expense from this lease?
A. A above.
B. B above
C. C above
D. D above
The answer is B: First Year: 100,000 x 12% = $12,000 so $3,000 reduces principal; Second Year:
$97,000 x 12% = $11,640 in interest
14. Which of the following might give rise to off-balance sheet financing?
I. Long-term operating leases
II. Sale of receivables without recourse
III. Through-put agreements
IV. Purchase commitments
A. I, II, III and IV
B. I, II and IV
C. II, III and IV
D. I, III and IV A
16. If a company engages in off-balance sheet financing, generally the effect is:
I. to cause assets to be understated.
II. to increase leverage ratios.
III. to increase cash flows.
IV. to cause liabilities to be understated.
A. I, II, III and IV
B. I, III and IV
C. I and IV
D. IV only
17. Minority interest appears on the balance sheet of some companies. Minority interest:
A. is classified as a liability.
B. is classified as an equity.
C. arises when a company records investments using the equity method.
D. arises when a company owns controlling interest in another company, but less than
100%.
25. Many of the postretirement health benefit plans offered by companies to their employees are
unfunded, while all of their pension plans have some degree of funding. Which of the following
statements is false?
A. There is no legal requirement to fund postretirement health benefits, but there are legal
requirements covering pension funding.
B. Contributions to pension plans are normally tax deductible, but contributions to
Postretirement health plans are not tax deductible.
C. Funds contributed to a pension plan can be withdrawn at any time, but funds
contributed to a postretirement health plan cannot be withdrawn by law.
D. Taxes do not have to be paid on investment income earned by assets in pension plan, but they
do normally have to be paid on postretirement health plans.
C
26. One way for a company to increase its book value per share is to:
A. issue long-term debt.
B. retire long-term debt.
C. increase dividend payout ratio.
D. buy back shares at market prices below their book value. D
27. A company's current ratio is 1.5. If the company uses cash to retire notes payable due within
one year, would this transaction increase or decrease the current ratio and return on assets ratio?
A. Current Ratio: Increase; Return on Assets: Increase
B. Current Ratio: Increase; Return on Assets: Decrease
C. Current Ratio: Decrease; Return on Assets: Increase
D. Current Ratio: Decrease; Return on Assets: Decrease
28. An analyst should consider whether a company acquired assets through a capital lease or an
operating lease because a company may structure:
A. leases to be treated like capital leases to enhance its leverage ratios.
B. leases to be treated like capital leases to enhance its cash flow.
C. leases to be treated like operating leases to enhance its leverage ratios.
D. leases to be treated like operating leases to enhance its cash flow. C
29. Which of the following lease provisions would cause a lease to be classified as an operating
lease?
A. The lease contains a bargain purchase option.
B. The collectibility of lease payments by the lessor is unpredictable.
C. The term of the lease is more than 75 percent of the estimated economic life of the leased
property.
D. The present value of the minimum lease payments equals or exceeds 90 percent of the fair
value of the leased property.
B
30. On January 1, a company entered into a capital lease resulting in an obligation of
$20,000 being recorded on the balance sheet. The lessor's implicit interest was 10 percent. At the end
of the first year of the lease, the cash flow from financing activities section of the lessee's statement of
cash flows showed a use of cash of $2,200 applicable to the lease. How much did the company pay the
lessor in the first year of the lease?
A. $2,000
B. $2,200
C. $4,200
D. $20,000
32. Which of the following is reported in the equity section of the balance sheet?
A. Redeemable Preferred stock
B. Treasury stock
C. Investment in affiliates
D. Debentures B
34. If a company increases its expected return on plan assets this year, the effect would be to:
I. increase plan assets.
II. decrease PBO.
III. decrease pension expenses.
IV. decrease minimum liability.
A. I, II and IV
B. I and IV
C. III and IV
D. III only
❖ Harms Inc. reported in its 2006 annual report the following information
36. If Harms had decreased its compensation growth rate to 4.5% in 2006, the effect would
have been:
A. an increased ABO.
B. an increased PBO.
C. a decreased ABO.
D. a decreased PBO.
38. Synthetic leases may achieve all of the following benefits to the borrower except:
A. window dress the balance sheet.
B. increase cash flow.
C. reduce tax expense on the income statement.
D. increase net income.
40. Which of the following is not an actuarial assumption underlying the computation of the
pension obligation?
A. Employee turnover
B. Life expectancy
C. Interest rate
D. Service cost
41. Pension intensity can be measured by expressing the pension plan assets and the pension
obligation separately as:
A. a percentage of company's total liabilities.
B. a percentage of company's total assets.
C. a percentage of company's net income.
D. a percentage of company's shareholders' equity.
42. The net deferrals are included in the balance sheet as part of:
A. assets.
B. current liabilities.
C. shareholders' equity.
D. long-term liabilities
Chapter 04
Analyzing Investing Activities
Multiple Choice Questions
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
The following information can be found in ABC Co.'s financial statements.
Assume a tax rate of 35%. Inventories valued using the LIFO method represented approximately 80% of consolidated
inventories.
6. What will be the value of inventory for 2006 if ABC used FIFO valuation?
A. 633,485
B. 570,430
C. 633,381
D. 488,581
7. What will be the retained earnings for 2006 if ABC used FIFO valuation?
A. 3,205,271
B. 3,566,918
C. 3,893,000
D. 4,096,430
8. What will be the retained earnings for 2005 if ABC used FIFO valuation?
A. 3,205,271
B. 3,566,918
C. 3,893,000
D. 4,096,430
9. The use of LIFO rather than FIFO for inventory costing under normal economic conditions results in:
I. lower net income.
II. higher total assets.
III. Higher retained earnings.
IV. unchanged retained earnings.
A. II and III
B. I, II and IV
C. I only
D. I and IV
10. Which of the following is not a common characteristic of a company choosing to use LIFO rather than FIFO?
A. Larger inventory balances
B. Higher variability in inventory balances
C. Greater expected tax savings
D. Larger in size
11. Financial Statements of ABC Corp. indicates that ending inventory levels in 2005 and 2006 were $200,000 and
$350,000 respectively. Cost of Goods sold for 2005 and 2006 were $1,900,000 and $2,200,000 respectively. Purchases in
2006 were:
A. $1,950,000
B. $2,150,000
C. $2,350,000
D. $1,850,000
12. The inventory costing method used by a company (LIFO, FIFO, etc.) will affect:
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
13. Which of the following steps are required to adjust LIFO to FIFO?
A. Inventory needs to be calculated as reported LIFO inventory plus LIFO reserve.
B. Increase deferred tax payable by LIFO reserve times Tax rate.
C. Retained earnings need to be calculated as reported retained earnings plus LIFO reserve times (1 – Tax rate).
D. All of the above.
14. One advantage of LIFO over FIFO under normal conditions is that:
A. it reports higher retained earnings.
B. it results in higher cash flows.
C. it results in higher current ratios.
D. it results in higher gross margins.
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
19. Target Inc. has 30M shares outstanding and trades at $50 per share. Target has net identifiable assets with a book
value of $1,000M and a fair value of $1,200M. Acquirer Corporation purchases all of Target Inc. stock for $60 per share.
How much will Acquirer record as goodwill upon acquiring Target?
A. 300M
B. 500M
C. 600M
D. 800M
20. Which of the following is incorrect with respect to recognized goodwill on the balance sheet?
A. It should not be amortized over 30 years.
B. It arises when another company is purchased or when internally generated.
C. It should be written-down if the future benefits no longer exist.
D. It may be negative.
22. If Manufacturer used FIFO its retained earnings as of the end of fiscal 2006 would be:
A. $ 540,000
B. $ 440,000
C. $ 524,000
D. $ 506,000
23. If Manufacturer used FIFO its Net Income for fiscal 2006 would be:
A. $ 165,000
B. $ 149,000
C. $ 135,000
D. $ 131,000
24. Look Good Corporation has current assets of $1.1M and current liabilities of $1M. It is close to year-end and it would
like to increase its current ratio. Which of the following will achieve this?
A. Encourage customers to pay their bills more quickly.
B. Increase short-term borrowings by $0.1M.
C. Sold building for $0.2M in cash.
D. Liquidate some of its trading marketable securities.
26. If a LIFO liquidation occurs during a period of rising prices, which of the following statements about the effects on a
firm's financial statements, all other things equal, is generally true?
I. Cost of goods sold increases.
II. Gross profit margin increases.
III. Taxes decrease.
IV. Net income increases.
A. I only
B. II only
C. I and III only
D. II and IV only
27. Which of the following statements about inventories is true?
A. U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) require the use of lower-of-cost or market-valuation basis for
inventories.
B. Last-in, last-out (LIFO) inventory accounting makes management of income more difficult than first-in, first-out
(FIFO) accounting.
C. During inflation, LIFO inventory accounting tends to overstate the current ratio.
D. FIFO inventory balances generally contain old and outdated costs that have little or no relationship to current costs.
28. A firm has a current ratio greater than 1.0. If the firm's ending inventory is understated by $3,000 and beginning
inventory is overstated by $5,000, the firm's net income (before taxes) and current ratio will be:
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
29. A Corporation wants to increase its current ratio from its present level of 1.2 before it ends the fiscal year. The action
having the desired effect is:
A. delaying the next payroll.
B. writing down impaired assets.
C. selling furniture for cash.
D. selling current marketable securities at cash for their book value.
30. A firm has a current ratio greater than 1.0. During the course of the year the firm sells $60M of accounts receivable
with limited recourse. If it had not sold the receivables it would have to have taken out a short-term loan. The effect of
selling the receivables is:
A. Option A
B. Option B
C. Option C
D. Option D
32. Which of the following is not an analysis issue arising with impairment?
A. Evaluating the appropriateness of the amount of the impairment.
B. Evaluating the appropriateness of the timing of the impairment.
C. Analyzing the effect of the impairment on asset.
D. Analyzing the effect of the impairment on income.
Below is selected information taken from the balance sheet of Huy Corporation as of 12/31/06.
33. The average depreciable life of Huy's depreciable assets as of 2006 is:
A. 2 years
B. 7 years
C. 14 years
D. 34 years
35. During fiscal 2006, Huy sold fully depreciated assets that originally cost $20,000 for $4,000. In 2006, they purchased
assets that cost:
A. $5,000
B. $6,000
C. $10,000
D. $30,000