In groups of three or four, compare the balance sheets of two different companies, and present to the class a summary of the similarities and differences of the two companies. You may obtain the balance sheets you need from one of the following sources:
1. Your school or local library.
2. The investor relations department of each company.
3. The company’s Web site on the Internet.
4. EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval), the electronic archives of financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
To obtain annual report information, key in a company name in the appropriate space. EdgarScan will list the reports available to you for the company you’ve selected. Select the most recent annual report filing, identified as a 10 K or 10 K405. EdgarScan provides an outline of the report, including the separate financial statements, which can also be selected in an Excel® spreadsheet.