Description
Comprehensive Analysis of a Fortune 500 Company
For this Individual Project you will analyze publicly available information about a Fortune 500 Company and develop an assessment of the corporate strategy and its ability to increase competitive advantage.
This assignment requires you to obtain and analyze information at the company, industry and market levels using various databases and reports found in the AIU library, in addition to at least eight (8) professional or academic peer-reviewed articles.
Click here for a tutorial on finding company information in the library.
Click here for a tutorial on finding industry information in the library.
Your analysis should include an in-depth review of the Company's most recent SEC Form-10k Annual Report and Form DEF-14A Proxy Statement. These SEC filings can be found at the SEC Edgar Database located at the URL http://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch... . Pay particular attention to the Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) sections of the SEC Form 10-K and the DEF-14A Proxy statement. Direct competitors are identified in the "Comparator Group" section of the DEF-14A Proxy Statement. ) These SEC filings also contain information relative to external and industry analysis that will be helpful in your assessment of the Company's strategy and competitive position.
A thorough analysis requires evaluation of various external stakeholders:
- Competitors
- Industry
- Vendors
- Customers
- Governmental entities
- Communities
Internal stakeholders that should be considered in the analysis include:
- Shareholders
- Board of Directors
- Management
- Employees
A comprehensive SWOT analysis should be performed relative to the Company's ability to improve its competitive advantage.
The comprehensive analysis should include both qualitative and quantitative elements, leveraging information available in SEC Filings, business databases, and peer-reviewed articles.
Your work should demonstrate your ability to:
- Apply critical thinking skills to analyze business situations.
- Apply principles of quantitative and qualitative research to business cases.
- Describe the opportunities provided by technology for businesses.
- Appropriately use effective communication techniques.
- Apply the standard of APA style to all research and writing tasks.
You will prepare a report presenting the findings of your comprehensive analysis examining the Company's corporate strategy and its ability to increase competitive advantage. The written report will have a body length of 9-10 pages excluding title, abstract, references and appendices. Quotation limits should be Not more than 10% of the body of the paper can be quotations, all of which must be properly attributed in APA format.
NOTE: Article collections (scholarly databases) may be accessed in the Library. Suggestions are:
- ABI Inform Global
- Academic Search Premier
- Business Source Premier
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANY
Comprehensive Analysis of Fortune 500 Company
Name
Institution
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COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANY
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Abstract
The most known U.S. Company under the world Fortune Companies is a Fortune 500 Company.
The company was included in the list based on an assessment done of sales scale, possessions
such assets, benefits and profits made. The first listing was done in 1955 and was restricted to
manufacturing, mining and energy firms. However, in 2014, the ranking was adjusted to
incorporate the U.S corporations operating within the U.S and giving financial reports to a
government agency. As such, this paper will majorly focus on the Apple Inc. as one of the
technology firms that majorly deals with the computer products, handsets and other electronic
gadgets. Apple Inc. as a Fortune 500 concentrates mainly on the initiative ways. The company
designs high quality electronic products that include televisions and apple watches. It also aims
at improving peoples’ living standards. It is as well friendly to the environment where it
operates, less environmental degradation has been reported and finding opportunities to extend
its operations in an enabling environment
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANY
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Comprehensive Analysis of Fortune 500 Company
Introduction
A Fortune Company refers to a company that is either privately or publicly influential or
lucrative in the world. Therefore, they gain high respect because of their powerful ability to
influence the world’s economy. These companies are consequently listed according to their
capacity to trigger economic transformation across the globe. Also, these companies make the
highest world revenue.
Determination of a Fortune 500 Company
Listing of Fortune 500 Company is done annually using an array of metrics such as the
number of sales, company’s earning, company’s external stakeholder and internal stakeholder
analysis. Therefore, the most known U.S. Company under the world Fortune Companies is a
Fortune 500 Company. The company was included in the list based on an assessment done of
sales scale, possessions such assets, benefits and profits made. The first listing was done in 1955
and was restricted to manufacturing, mining and energy firms (Bradshaw, 2017). However, in
2014, the ranking was adjusted to incorporate the U.S corporations operating within the U.S and
giving financial reports to a government agency. Financial statements of a company, therefore,
serve as the basis for its analysis for it to be incorporated in the list of Fortune Companies. Thus
in the list of 2014, Fortune 500 list, Walmart Store was ranked the best regarding the sales ratios
realized in that year compared to other companies (Mourdoukoutas, 2011). However, dynamics
in the Fortune 500 ranking tends to alter public perception of a firm and the company’s
management within the country. Additionally, a Fortune 500 list is applicable in the creation of
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF THE FORTUNE 500 COMPANY
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sub-lists. Sub-listing is also done based on the following business metrics. A well knows Fortune
500 sub-lists is the yearly listing of the most desired firms based on business progress.
Apple Inc. Analysis
In the contemporary world, different firms are dwelling on nearly all products that are
consumed by the customers. Apple Inc. is one of the technology firms that majorly deals with the
computer products, handsets and other electronic gadgets. Apple Inc. as a Fortune 500
concentrates mainly on the initiative ways (Bradshaw, 2017). The company designs high quality
electronic products that include televisions and apple watches. The firm creates sophisticated
products to meet the consumer’s desire. As such, they will be required to deliver high quality
products and fascinating aspects.
Background Information
Apple Inc. as one of the Fortune 500 provides quality services, which include industrial
designs resulting in an appreciation of their hardware as well as software products. In delivering
the services to the customers, Apple Inc. has excellent customer series. Sales individuals are
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