ASSIGNMENT #1 - DATA COLLECTION

1. Go to Wikipedia and look up your company. Read the overview. Find and record the ticker symbol,
stock exchange they are traded on, and fiscal year end?

a. Go to Yahoo!Finance at http://finance.yahoo.com/. Enter the ticker symbol for your company in the box
beside the “Get Quotes” button near the top of the page and click the button. Record the date, price of
the stock at the “Last Trade,” “Trade Time,” “Avg Vol (3mon),” “Market Cap,” the 52wk Range (the
highest and lowest prices the stock has reached in the past year), P/E ratio ttm (price/earnings ratio for
the trailing twelve months), and the EPS ttm (earnings per share for the trailing twelve months).
Describe the relationship of the current stock price to its 52-week price range. Describe what the P/E
ratio means for your company. What is EPS and why is it important?

b. Click “Basic Chart.” It shows the one year chart. Print. View the 1d, 5d, 3m, 6m, 2y, 5y, and max charts.
What do these charts tell you?

c. Click “Profile.” Read the “Business Summary” section and write a short description of the company’s
main line of business.

d. Click on “Key Statistics.” Record the company’s “Forward P/E.” How does it compare to the “Trailing
P/E?” List its “Price/Sales (ttm)” and “Price/Book (mrq)” ratios. Describe what each means. What is the
firm’s beta? What does that mean? List the Avg Vol (10 day). How does it compare to the Avg Vol (3
month)? How many shares are outstanding? Where is that information derived? How many are
considered in the Float? What does that mean? How many shares are short (as of Dec 31, 2010)? What
does that mean? Compare that to Shares Short (prior month). What are the Short Ratio (as of Dec 31,
2010) and the Short % of Float (as of Dec 31, 2010)? What doe those things mean? When is the next
dividend date and when was the last stock split?

e. Click “Competitors.” Record the ticker symbol for the one that you would also like to follow.

f. Click “Industry.” Record the industry and sector.

g. Click “Analyst Opinion.” List Mean Recommendation (this week) and (last week); Mean, Median,
High, and Low Target Prices; and number of brokers following the stock. How has the recommendation
changed this week from last week? Describe whether the current price compared to the mean target price
indicates that analysts expect the stock price to increase or decline. Describe how the high and low target
prices compare to the 52-week range.

h. Click “Major Holders.” Record the % of Shares Held by All Insider and 5% Owners, % of Shares Held
by Institutional & Mutual Fund Owners, and Number of Institutions Holding Shares. Who are the Major
Direct Holders? Who are three of the Top Institutional Holders and three of the Top Mutual Fund
Holders?

i. Click “Income Statement.” Record for the three listed years: total revenue, earnings before interest and
taxes, interest expense, and net income.

j. Click “Balance Sheet.” Record for the three listed years: cash, net receivables, inventory, total current
assets, total assets, total current liabilities, total liabilities, and total shareholders’ equity.

k. Click “Cash Flow.” Record for the three listed years: Total Cash Flow From Operating Activities, Total
Cash Flows From Investing Activities, Total Cash Flows From Financing Activities, and Change In
Cash and Cash Equivalents.
2. Go to Wikipedia and look up the competitor that you chose in Assignment #1. Read the overview. Find
and record the ticker symbol, stock exchange they are traded on, and fiscal year end?

l. Go to Yahoo!Finance at http://finance.yahoo.com/. Enter the ticker symbol for your competitor in the
box beside the “Get Quotes” button near the top of the page and click the button. Record the date, price
of the stock at the “Last Trade,” “Trade Time,” “Avg Vol (3mon),” “Market Cap,” the 52wk Range (the
highest and lowest prices the stock has reached in the past year), P/E ratio ttm (price/earnings ratio for
the trailing twelve months), and the EPS ttm (earnings per share for the trailing twelve months).
Describe the relationship of the current stock price to its 52-week price range. Describe what the P/E
ratio means for your company. What is EPS and why is it important?

m. Click “Basic Chart.” It shows the one year chart. Print. View the 1d, 5d, 3m, 6m, 2y, 5y, and max charts.
What do these charts tell you?

n. Click “Profile.” Read the “Business Summary” section and write a short description of the competitor’s
main line of business.

o. Click on “Key Statistics.” Record the competitor’s “Forward P/E.” How does it compare to the “Trailing
P/E?” List its “Price/Sales (ttm)” and “Price/Book (mrq)” ratios. Describe what each means. What is the
firm’s beta? What does that mean? List the Avg Vol (10 day). How does it compare to the Avg Vol (3
month)? How many shares are outstanding? Where is that information derived? How many are
considered in the Float? What does that mean? How many shares are short (as of Dec 31, 2010)? What
does that mean? Compare that to Shares Short (prior month). What are the Short Ratio (as of Dec 31,
2010) and the Short % of Float (as of Dec 31, 2010)? What doe those things mean? When is the next
dividend date and when was the last stock split?

p. Click “Analyst Opinion.” List Mean Recommendation (this week) and (last week); Mean, Median,
High, and Low Target Prices; and number of brokers following the stock. How has the recommendation
changed this week from last week? Describe whether the current price compared to the mean target price
indicates that analysts expect the stock price to increase or decline. Describe how the high and low target
prices compare to the 52-week range.

q. Click “Major Holders.” Record the % of Shares Held by All Insider and 5% Owners, % of Shares Held
by Institutional & Mutual Fund Owners, and Number of Institutions Holding Shares. Who are the Major
Direct Holders? Who are three of the Top Institutional Holders and three of the Top Mutual Fund
Holders?

r. Click “Income Statement.” Record for the three listed years: total revenue, earnings before interest and
taxes, interest expense, and net income.

s. Click “Balance Sheet.” Record for the three listed years: cash, net receivables, inventory, total current
assets, total assets, total current liabilities, total liabilities, and total shareholders’ equity.

t. Click “Cash Flow.” Record for the three listed years: Total Cash Flow From Operating Activities, Total
Cash Flows From Investing Activities, Total Cash Flows From Financing Activities, and Change In
Cash and Cash Equivalents.