As noted in Wikipedia Oracle is headquartered in Redwood, California. It was founded in 1977 and is the world’s third largest soft wear developer in sales. According to Yahoo Finance Oracle is a multi-faceted operation. Oracle provides a vast amount of services for the internet and computer. It provides cloud applications, IT consulting services, licenses middleware software which includes database and database management. It has 115,000 full time employees and is run by co-founder, CEO Larry Ellison who has been the only CEO of the company since it’s inception. Also noted in Wikipedia he is the top paid CEO in the world. In 2013 Oracle currently has an operating cash flow of 13.72B with revenues of 37.15B which can be found in Yahoo Finance.
Microsoft is a leading software company started by Bill Gates and Paul Allen in 1975. The company’s headquarters is located in Redmond, Washington where like Oracle it develops, licenses, manufactures and support a wide range of computing sources, as documented in Wikipedia. Yahoo finance reports that in addition to licensing and manufacturing software over the globe it also designs hardware and has recently entered into the hardware industry with it’s new tablet. It also has a entertainment division which is responsible for the manufacturing of Xbox360 gaming and consoles, Kinect for Xbox and video games among other products. It has a total of 94,000 full time employees and can be credited for creating 3 billionaires and 12 millionaires from the company’s operations. Microsoft currently has a cash flow of 73.79B with revenues of 76.01B for 2013.
The Term Paper on Microsoft Company Software Sony
Abstract: The following research is designed to provide the reader with an understanding as to how Microsoft and Sony have developed as a company throughout the years. The research will show the combined efforts of two large companies and there mark into the gaming industry. Microsoft and Sony's environment, company, and leadership styles are what have kept the company on the leading edge of ...
Interpretation and Comparison between the two companies’ ratios (Reading the Appendix of Chapter 13 will help you prepare the commentary) Oracle Corporation Microsoft Corporation
Earnings per share
As given in the income statement
$1.69
Basic Common
$2.73
Microsoft has shown to have a higher EPS than Oracle.
Current ratio
Current assets Current liabilities
$39,174 $14,192
=
2.76
$74,918 $28,774
2.60
Oracle is showing more favorable current ratio than Microsoft. This ratio depicts for every dollar of current liabilites it has the respective amount in current assets.
Gross Profit Ratio
Gross profit Net Sales Gross Profit = net sales – COGS Oracle: 35,622 – 8,398 = 27,224 Microsoft: 69,943 15,577 = 54,366
$27,224 $35,622
=
76.4%
$54,366 $69,943
77.7%
Microsoft’s Gross Profit Ratio is slightly better than Oracle.
Profit margin ratio
Net Income Net Sales
$8,547 $35,622
=
24.0%
$23,150 $69,943
33.1%
Microsoft has a better Profit Margin Ratio than Oracle.
Inventory Turnover
Cost of Goods Sold Average Inventory Average Inventory: 2011 + 2010/2 Oracle: 303 + 259/2 = 281 Microsoft: 1,372 + 740/2 = 1056
$8,398 $281
29.9 times
$15,577 $1,056
14.8 times
Oracle shows a significantly higher turnover than Microsoft.
Days in Inventory
365 days Inventory turnover
365 29.9
=
12 days
365 14.8
25 days
Oracle has better result than Microsoft
Receivable Turnover Ratio
Net credit sales Average Net Receivables Average Net Receivables: 2011 +2010/2 Oracle: 6628 + 5585/2 = 6107 Avg NR Microsoft:14987 + 13014/2 = 14001 Avg N
$35,622 $6,107
=
5.8
$69,943 $14,001
5.0
Microsofts Receivable Turnover is faster than Oracle.
Average Collection Period
365 Receivable Turnover Ratio
The Essay on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Net Fixed Assets
21. Calculating Cash Flows. Xu Tong Manufacturers had the following operating results for 2010: sales = $19, 780; cost of goods sold = $13,980; depreciation expenses = $2,370; interest expense = $345; dividends paid = $400. At the beginning of the year, net fixed assets were $13,800, current assets were $2,940 and current liabilities were $2,070. At the end of the year, net fixed assets were $ ...
365 5.8
=
62.6 days
365 5.0
73.1
Oracle has a better result on the collection period.
Assets Turnover Ratio
Net Sales Average Total Assets Average Total Assets = 2011+2010/2 Oracle: 73535 + 61578/2 = 67557 Microsoft: 108704 + 86113 = 97409
$35,622 $67,557
=
0.53
$69,943 $97,409
0.72
Microsoft shows a better ratio.
Return on Assets Ratio
Net Income Average Total Assets
$8,547 $67,557
=
12.7%
$23,150 $97,409
23.8%
Microsoft has a better return on their assets.
Debt to Total Assets Ratio
Total Liabilities Total Assets
$33,290 $73,535
=
45.3%
$51,621 $108,704
47.5%
Microsoft is slightly higher so Oracle has a better ratio.
Times Interest Earned Ratio
Net Income + Int Expense + Tax Expense Interest Expense
$12,219 $808
=
15.1
28,366 295
96.2
Microsoft has a much healthier ratio than Oracle.
Payout ratio
Cash dividend declared on common stock Net income
$1,061 $8,547
=
12.4%
$5,180 $23,150
22.4%
Microsoft has a higher rate of dividend pay outs
Return on Common Stockholders’ Equity
Net income – Preferred stock dividend Average common stockholders’ equity Oracle Avg SE: 40245 + 31199/2 Microsoft Avg SE: 57083 + 46175/2
8,547 35,722.00
=
23.9%
$23,150 $51,629
44.8%
Microsoft earned more on the dollar of their net income for each dollar of the stockholder’s equity.
Free cash flow
Cash provided by operations minus capital expenditures minus cash dividends paid
$9,703
=
$9,703
$19,459
$
Microsoft has a considerable amount more Free cash 19,459 flow than Oracle
Current cash debt coverage ratio
Cash provided by operations Average current liabilities
$11,214 $14,442
=
0.78
$26,994 $27,461
0.98
Microsoft has a better ratio of paying debt within the year.
Cash debt coverage ratio
Cash provided by operations Average total liabilities
$11,214 $31,835
=
0.35
The Review on Determinants of Dividend Payout Ratio
Determinants of Dividend Payout-Ratio: A Study of Philippine Stock Exchange-Listed Banks, 2007-2011 Introduction Dividend policy is one of the most controversial subjects in finance literature and still `management always ponders about the dividend payment and also why investors need to pay attention on dividend. It is also a corporate profit that is paid out or considered as an income by the ...
$26,994 $45,780
0.59
Microsoft has a better ratio.
Price/Earnings ratio
Market price as of 06/30/2011 EPS as of 06/30/2011
$34.22 $1.69
=
20
$26.87 $2.73
10
Oracle fairs better than Microsoft with the investor’s projection of the strength of future earnings
Liquidity: Overall Oracle has shown to a better liquidity ratio than Microsoft. Some areas the two companies are relatively close in liquidity performance as depicted in the current ratio. In other areas Oracle proves to have much better performance than Microsoft as depicted in the inventory and days in inventory ratios however and current ratio. Oracle also has a faster collection period than Microsoft as reflected in the average collection period ratio. I would declare Oracle as having a better liquidity standing than Microsoft.
Solvency: Microsoft is superior to Oracle in this ratio category. Although Microsoft has a little more risk than Oracle in the debt to current assest ratio which means that if necessary Oracle has a better opportunity to convert assets in to cash with a 45.3% while Microsoft is at 47.5% however; this is the only ratio that Oracle is more favorable than Microsoft. With Microsoft’s free cash flow of $19,459 billion versus Oracle’s $9,703, Microsoft is least likely to have the need to liquidate their assets.
Free cash flow ratio gives insight to a company’s acquisition power, ability to eliminate or minimize debt and allows for a higher dividend payout. Microsoft has a better current cash debt to current liability ratio as well. For evey $1 in liability Microsoft as .98 cash from operating activities while Oracle has .78 from operating activities for every $1 of current liability. Given these analysis Microsoft has a better overall solvency status than Oracle.
Profitability: This category of ratios is the more focused one by investors because it gives the most accurate prognosis of a company’s most gain out of investmens from investors. Beginning with Gross Profit ratio the two companies are very close with Microsoft showing a 77.7% and Oracle showing a 76.4% they both fair pretty well in gross profits. Microsoft has an advantage over Oracle in all ratios in this category except for Price earning sharing ratio. The payout ratio and the return on common stockholder’s equity ratio are significantly higher than Oracle’s but Oracle has a higer price earnings per share ratio as stated earlier which signifies that investors believe that Oracle’s stock is going to increase over a period of time.
The Business plan on Microsoft’s Diversification Strategy
1. Why did Microsoft, the most successful computer software company, choose to remedy its strategic disarray? Microsoft is a multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services related to computing. The company was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen on April 4, 1975. Microsoft ...
Conclusion: Although based on the ratios Oracle seems to be a safer investment and deemed by investors for the fiscal year of 2011 to have higher potential in the market and as noted by Eddie Beverage in an online article on Five Capital website Oracle has shown consistency over the past decade than Microsoft with trending increases. However; given that Microsoft has a substantially higher payout and higher return on stockholder’s equity I would take the risk and go with Microsoft.
Beverage, E. (2011, Oct 21).
Microsoft V Oracle: You know you want one. Retrieved from Seeking Alpha. Oracle Corporation. (n.d.).
Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_Corporation Weygandt, J., Kimmel, & Kleso, D. (2011).
Financial Accounting. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Yahoo Finance. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 22, 2013, from Yahoo: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=ORCL Yahoo Finance. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 22, 2013, from Yahoo: http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=MSFT Wikipedia. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 22, 2013, from Microsoft: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft Wikipedia Oracle Corporation. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 22, 2013, from Wikipedia:
