Suppose You Are Analyzing Two Firms in the Same Industry

question 5

True/False

Suppose you are analyzing two firms in the same industry.Firm A has a profit margin of 10% versus a margin of 8% for Firm B.Firm A's total debt to total capital ratio [measured as (Short-term debt + Long-term debt)/(Debt + Preferred stock + Common equity)] is 70% versus 20% for Firm B.Based only on these two facts,you cannot reach a conclusion as to which firm is better managed,because the difference in debt,not better management,could be the cause of Firm A's higher profit margin.

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Definitions:

Equilibrium Price

The price at which the quantity of goods demanded equals the quantity of goods supplied.

Excess Demand

Excess demand occurs when the quantity demanded of a product or service exceeds the quantity supplied at the current price, leading to shortages.

Excess Supply

A market situation where the quantity of a good or service offered is greater than the quantity demanded by consumers.

Supply

The total amount of a product or service available for purchase at any given time in the market.