Trend Analysis
Trend Analysis
Trend Analysis
Periods may be measured in months, quarters, or years, depending on the circumstances. The goal is
to calculate and analyze the amount change and percent change from one period to the next.
For example, in fiscal years 2010 and 2009, Coca-Cola had the operating income shown as follows.
(Amounts are in millions. To convert to the actual amount, simply multiply the amount given times
Although readers of the financial information can see that operating income increased from 2009 to
2010, the exact dollar amount of the change and the percent change is more helpful in evaluating the
Key Equation
Amount of change = Current year amount – Base year amount
Question: As you can see, operating income increased by $218,000,000 from 2009 to 2010. Is this
Answer: Most of us consider $218,000,000 to be a huge amount, but the only way to gauge the true
significance of this amount for Coca-Cola is to calculate the percent change from 2009 to 2010.
The percent change is calculated as the current year amount minus the base year amount, divided by
Key Equation
Percent change = (Current year amount – Base year amount) ÷ Base year amount
The calculation that follows shows operating income increased 2.6 percent from 2009 to 2010.
Although not an extraordinarily significant increase, this does represent positive results for Coca-
Cola.
Question: Trend analysis is often used to evaluate each line item on the income
statement and balance sheet. How is this analysis prepared?
Figure 13.1 "Income Statement Trend Analysis for " shows that net sales increased by
$4,129,000,000, or 13.3 percent. Cost of goods sold had a corresponding increase of
$1,605,000,000, or 14.5 percent. The increase in net sales and related increase in cost of
goods sold resulted in an increase in gross margin of $2,524,000,000, or 12.7 percent.
The increase in selling and administrative expenses of $1,800,000,000, or 15.8 percent,
outpaced the increase in net sales, resulting in a relatively small increase in operating
income of $218,000,000, or 2.6 percent. The significant increase in other income
(expenses), net of 555.6 percent relates to a one-time gain of $4,978,000,000 resulting
from Coca-Cola’s acquisition of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., in 2010 (this
information comes from the notes to the financial statements). This one-time gain
caused an unusually large increase in net income for 2010. This is important as we
continue our analysis of Coca-Cola Company throughout the chapter. Net income will
appear to have an unusually large increase as we cover various measures of
performance, but keep in mind that the one-time gain in 2010 of $4,978,000,000
caused most of the increase from 2009 to 2010.
Question: What does the balance sheet trend analysis in Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet Trend Analysis for " tell us about
current assets and current liabilities for Coca-Cola?
Answer: Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet Trend Analysis for " shows that cash and cash equivalents increased by
$2,048,000,000, or 22.4 percent. Coca-Cola’s statement of cash flows would provide detailed information regarding this
increase. (Chapter 12 "How Is the Statement of Cash Flows Prepared and Used?" covers the statement of cash flows.)
Marketable securities increased 122.6 percent, accounts receivable increased 17.9 percent, and merchandise inventory
increased 12.6 percent. Other current assets increased 42.0 percent.
Moving to current liabilities, accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased by 33.1 percent, loans and notes payable
increased 20.0 percent, and other current liabilities decreased 391.7 percent (mostly attributable to a significant increase
in the current portion of long-term debt).
Question: What does the balance sheet trend analysis in Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet Trend Analysis for " tell us about
noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities for Coca-Cola?
Answer: Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet Trend Analysis for " shows that long-term investments increased 11.2 percent.
Property, plant, and equipment increased 54.0 percent, and intangible assets increased by a significant 109.8 percent.
Both items appearing under noncurrent liabilities increased, with a 177.5 percent increase in long-term debt and a 99.2
percent increase in other liabilities and deferred taxes.
Shareholders’ Equity
Question: What does the balance sheet trend analysis in Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet Trend Analysis for " tell us about
shareholders’ equity for Coca-Cola?
Answer: Common stock increased 16.1 percent, and retained earnings increased 17.8 percent. Accumulated other income
(loss) went further into negative territory by 91.5 percent, and treasury stock increased 9.3 percent.
Question: What are some of the key big picture items identified in the balance sheet trend analysis shown in Figure 13.2 "Balance
Sheet Trend Analysis for "?
Answer: Overall, total assets increased by $24,250,000,000, or 49.8 percent. Of course, total liabilities and shareholders’ equity also
increased by the same amount. The increases identified in almost every asset, liability, and shareholders’ equity line item are
significant. From reading the notes to the financial statements, the authors were able to identify the main source of these increases. In
2010, Coca-Cola acquired the remaining 67 percent of Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.’s (CCE) North America business that Coca-
Cola did not already own. This resulted in significant increases in noncurrent assets and noncurrent liabilities, which were acquired as
part of this transaction. It also resulted in the reporting of a one-time gain on the income statement of $4,978,000,000, which came
from Coca-Cola premeasuring its equity interest in CCE to fair value upon close of the transaction in 2010.
This analysis points to the reason we perform trend analysis—to identify the increases and decreases in dollar amounts from one year
to the next and to take a close look at unusual trends.
Answer: A common approach is to establish the oldest year as the base year and compute future years as a percentage of
the base year. For example, Coca-Cola had the following net sales and operating income for each of the past five years (in
millions):
Assuming 2006 is the base year, the trend percentage is calculated for each year using the following formula:
Key Equation
Trend percentage = Current year ÷ Base year
Figure 13.3 "Percentage Trend Analysis for " shows Coca-Cola’s trend percentages for net sales and operating income.
Most analysts would expand this analysis to include most, if not all, of the income statement line items.
Figure 13.3 Percentage Trend Analyses for Coca-Cola
Note: Trend percentages are calculated as the current year divided by the base year (2006). For example, the net sales 2010 trend
percentage of 146 percent equals $35,119 (net sales for 2010) divided by $24,088 (net sales for the base year 2006).
All percentages shown in Figure 13.3 "Percentage Trend Analysis for " are relative to the base year, which is fiscal year
2006. Notice that the increase in operating income of 34 percent (= 134 percent – 100 percent) from 2006 to 2010 was
less than the increase in net sales of 46 percent for the same period. This signals that the increase in Coca-
Cola’s operating expenses outpaced the increase in net sales during this period. Figure 13.4 "Five-Year Percentage Trend
in Operating Income for " shows the trend percentages in Coca-Cola’s operating income from 2006 to 2010.
KEY TA KEA WA Y
Trend analysis provides a means to analyze company data over a period of time by focusing on the change in specific line
items within the income statement and balance sheet. Changes are typically measured in dollars and percentages. Trends
over several years can be evaluated by calculating the trend percentage as the current year divided by the base year.
Business in Action 13.1
Most public companies present trend information in their annual reports. For example, Intel shows net revenues, gross
margin, research and development costs, operating income, and net income for the past five
years. Nike and PepsiCo both show the percent change in selected income statement line items for the past two
years. Costco Wholesale Corporation presents selected income statement information for the past five years. The fact
that these financial data are provided in the annual report confirms the importance of presenting trend information to
shareholders.
The following income statements and balance sheets are for PepsiCo, Inc. We use this information in review problems
throughout the chapter.
1. Prepare a trend analysis for PepsiCo‘s income statement using the format shown in Figure 13.1 "Income Statement Trend
Analysis for ".
2. Prepare a trend analysis for PepsiCo’s balance sheet using the format shown in Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet Trend Analysis for
".
3. Compare PepsiCo’s increase in net income from 2009 to 2010 to Coca-Cola’s increase shown in Figure 13.1 "Income
Statement Trend Analysis for ". Which company has the highest percentage growth in net income?
4. Compare PepsiCo’s increase in total assets from 2009 to 2010 to Coca-Cola’s increase shown in Figure 13.2 "Balance Sheet
Trend Analysis for ". Which company has the highest percentage growth in total assets?
amount. For example, net sales 33.8 percent increase equals $14,606 ÷ $43,232.
1.
Note: Percent change for each line item is found by dividing the increase (decrease) amount by the 2009
amount. For example, cash and cash equivalents 50.7 percent increase equals $2,000 ÷ $3,943.