Instructions

Students often refer to an income statement as the statement that shows how much money a company has made. Money, by definition, is something that is generally accepted as a medium of exchange or means or payment. Keeping that definition in mind, an income statement is not a measure of money, but rather it is a measure of net income (or loss), also known as profit (or loss).

Select a publicly held company such as Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard, or Home Depot. (Note: Do not select a company already chosen by your classmates.) Go to their website and select investor relations and download the company’s most current annual report. Provide the link to that annual report.

Based on what you have read about income statements in this chapter and in the Becker materials, tell us what you have learned about the company from reviewing its income statement.