This week you are to look up your company’s 2021 10-k Annual Report (which is the financial statement public companies file) and look up the Management’s Discussion & Analysis (aka MD&A) section. MD&A is where management lays out their case for what is going on in the financials.
While I will be putting up an explainer video, here are instructions:
• Looking up MD&A:
o Simply Google your company’s name and “2021 10-k Annual Report” and it should come up.
(For global companies you can look up “2021 20-F Annual Report” or if all else fails try “2021 Annual Report” or “2021 Annual Financial Statements”)
o Use FULL YEAR results. If full year 2021 is NOT available, use full year 2020
o Sometimes the results will be posted in a list on the company website – look for 10-K (use CTRL+F)
International companies may just have an “annual report” not listed as a 20-F. They will not have a 10-K
o When you open a 10-K (whether it is PDF or web-based) scroll down and you will always find a ‘Table of Contents’.
This table is always hyperlinks so you can click on the section you want and it will take you straight there.
Look for Management’s Discussion & Analysis (a little trick is to use CTL + F and type in the word “management” and you will usually find it pretty fast)
Note: Some international companies call it something slightly different (e.g. Adidas lists it as “Management Assessment of Performance, Risk & Opportunities)
• You will then:
o Title: List your company so we know what you are covering
o Share a link to the annual report you have uncovered
o Find the MD&A section, screen capture the MD&A section (just get the first page) and upload it here
o Write answers to the following based on the MD&A section:
List 2 comments on financial performance (any mentions you have found of growth, income, profit/loss, etc – you may end up scrolling down into the section that follows as MD&A often dovetails into financial discussions. You will not go more than a section past MD&A)
List three positives or opportunities in the business environment
List three negatives or business risks
EACH answer can be a bullet point but should be followed by a relevant explanation of 1-2 sentences that gives context such that another reader will understand without going into the 10K.
After you are done find TWO classmates who have any similar positives or challenges (no matter how remote) to your company and share what you have discovered in common.
This is an exercise in getting used to using financial statements now, for your final and the rest of your professional life.
To create your Individual Posting, click “Reply” button.
• Individual Posting: Due by Friday.
• Response Postings: Due by Monday. Response postings must be at least two paragraphs (with 2 to 5 sentences each).
