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Arab Open University
BE210: TMA – 2ndSemester 2013-2014
Cut-Off Date: 4thof May2014
About TMA:
The TMA covers the financial accounting concepts and practices in the businesses. It is marked out of 100 and is worth 20% of the overall assessment component. It is intended to assess students’ understanding of some of the learning points within chapters 1 to 4. This TMA requires you to apply the course concepts.
The TMA is intended to:
Increase the students’ knowledge about the reality of the accounting as a profession.
Assess students’ understanding of key learning points within chapters 1 to 4.
Develop the ability to understand and interact with the nature of the financial statements in reality.
Develop students’ communication skills, such as memo writing, essay writing, analysis and presentation of material.
Develop basic ICT skills such as using the internet.
The TMA:
The TMA requires you to:
1-Review various study chapters (from Chapter 1 to 4) of ‘Financial and Managerial Accounting’ Book and apply some of the concepts within it.
2-Conduct a simple information search using the internet.
3-Present your findings in not more than 1,200 words.The word count excludes headings, references, title page, and diagrams.
4-You should use a Microsoft Office Wordand Times New Roman Font of 14 points.
5-You should read and follow the instructions below carefully. Each part of the process will carry marks for the assignment.
Criteria for Grade Distribution:
Criteria / Content / Referencing / Structure and Presentation of ideas / Total marksFinancial Reporting on the Internet (Southwest Airlines Co.)
Marks / 90 / 5 / 5 / 100
The TMA Questions
Financial Reporting on the Internet
(Southwest Airlines Co.)
The internet is a good place to get information that is useful to you in your study of accounting. For example, you can find information about current events, professional accounting organizations, and specific companies that may support your study.
Southwest Airlines Co. (the “Company”) operates Southwest Airlines (“Southwest”) and AirTran Airways (“AirTran”), major passengerairlines that provide scheduled air transportation in the United States and near-international markets. For the 41st consecutive year, the Company wasprofitable, earning $754 million in net income.
Southwest commenced service on June 18, 1971, with three Boeing 737 aircraft serving three Texas cities: Dallas, Houston, andSan Antonio. Including the operations of both Southwest and AirTran, the Company ended 2013 serving 96 destinations in 41 states, the District ofColumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near-international countries including Mexico (Cancun, Mexico City, and Cabo San Lucas),Jamaica (Montego Bay), The Bahamas (Nassau), Aruba (Oranjestad), and Dominican Republic (Punta Cana). At December 31, 2013, Southwest’sand AirTran’s combined active fleet consisted of 680 aircraft, including 614 Boeing 737s and 66 Boeing 717s. The Company reached a majormilestone in 2013 by completing the connection of the Southwest and AirTran networks. Customers can now fly between any of the combined 96Southwest and AirTran destinations on a single itinerary.
While AirTran continues to service certain domestic cities and all of the Company’s international markets, the Company has announced plansto convert AirTran’s remaining domestic and international service into Southwest service by the end of 2014.
Access the Southwest AirlinesCo. web page at: From Southwest Airlines’ home page, choose“Investor Relations”, then“SEC Filings” from “Financial”, followed by clicking on“Annual Filings”from “View”to download2013 annual reporton Form PDF.
Note: the annual report of M&S plc is available at:
Instructions:
Use the annual report to answer the following questions:
[8 marks]
1-Continue paging through the annual report until you find the “Consolidated Statement of Income.” For the three most recent years, list the amounts reported for “operating revenues”, “Operating Income”, and “Net Income”. Is Southwest Airlines Co. growing and expanding? Is Southwest Airlines Co. a profitable company”? Comment whether the three years trend of revenues is favorable or unfavorable.Support your answer by suitable figures from the Southwest’s2013 annual report.
[14 marks]
2-The realization principle determines when a business should recognize revenue. Most airlines sell tickets well before the scheduled date of the flight. Explain which is the appropriate alternative for Southwest Airlines Co. to apply the realization principle: a) Period ticket sold; or b) Period of flight.Support your answer by suitable figures from the Southwest’s 2013 annual report.
[8 marks]
3-When Southwest Airlines Co. sells tickets for future flights, it debts Cash and credits an account entitled Advance Ticket Sales. With respect to this Advance Ticket Sales account:
- What does the balance of the account represent? Where should the account appear in Southwest Airlines’ financial statements?
- Explain the activity that normally reduces the balance of Advance Ticket Sales account. Can you think of any other transactions that would reduce Advance Ticket Sales account?
[10 marks]
4-Southwest Airlines’ financial statements are followed by a series of explanatory notes. What are some of the subjects covered by those notes?
[6 marks]
5-Identify three questions that can be answered by reviewing Southwest Airlines’Statement of Income but cannot be answered by reviewing Southwest Airlines’ balance sheet or stockholders’ equity. Support your answer by suitable figures and/or examples from the Southwest’s 2013 annual report.
[6 marks]
6-Using Southwest Airlines’ financial statements and related notes, identify four items that may result in adjusting entries for prepayments and accruals.Support your answer by suitable figures from the SouthwestAirlines’ 2013 annual report.
[8 marks]
7-What were Southwest Airlines’ cash flows from its investing and financing activities for 2013? What where Southwest Airlines’ trends in net cash flows from its operating, investing, and financing activities over the period 2011-2013?
[8 marks]
8-For the two most recent years (2013 and 2012), calculate Southwest Airlines’ current ratio and comment on its trend. Show your work in calculating this ratio. What was Southwest Airlines’ amount of working capital at Dec. 31, 2013?
[8 marks]
PT3 form (Cover) / Available on LMSContents / Title and contents page
TMA / Financial Reporting on the Internet (Southwest Airlines Co.)
Reference list / Recorded according to the Harvard style - Available on LMS