Carril - Term Project SCRIBD
Carril - Term Project SCRIBD
October 1, 2023
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For the purpose of this report, I was given some required criteria, and I will mention
those in this opening section. I will use two companies operating in the same industry with
similar end products. I am conducting a financial analysis of the two companies headquartered in
separate countries. Along with the headquarters criterion, each company must have subsidiary
ventures in foreign countries from its headquarters. This criterion makes the comparison
straightforward and practical, as the companies have similar processes. In making this
comparison, the outcome should assist an average person with limited investing experience in
making an informed stock purchase. Additional details are that one of the companies must have
its headquarters in the U.S., where U.S. GAAP is used for financial reporting standards. The
second company must have its headquarters in a country that uses International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS) to prepare its financial statements and annual reports. Where this
type of comparison, even for a savvy investor, could suggest challenges, my goal is to keep it as
user-friendly as possible while still satisfying the requirements for my academic project. I will
compare Ford Motor Company, a U.S.-based company, and Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japan-
based corporation.
This report features four main objectives and will conclude with a summary and
I. Company Overviews.
I. An overview of each company and the countries where they operate. Information
(I-A.) Demographics
Ford Motor Company (Ford) has World Headquarters at #1 American Road, Dearborn,
Michigan 48126-2798, United States. The Ford Motor Company was officially incorporated in
1903, when founder Henry Ford launched his venture in a converted factory in Detroit,
Michigan. It was his third attempt at establishing an automotive business. At the time, the
Ford began in 1908 with the introduction of the Model T. This model embodied what
Henry Ford wanted out of a car: efficiency, reliability, and a reasonable price. Due to high
demand for the vehicle, Ford Motor Company commissioned a new factory in Highland Park,
Michigan. Here, Henry Ford revolutionized the global automobile industry by introducing his
first assembly line mass-production model. This implementation gave Ford an edge over its
Since the mid-90s, Ford continually lost significance in the U.S. market and steadily
increased its share in the European market. This change is due to high labor costs, increased
Ford’s automotive sector operates through four business segments: North America, South
America, Asia Pacific, Africa, and Europe. A graphical representation of these locations is
included.
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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Motor_Company_global_locations.png#file
The North American segment sells Ford and Lincoln vehicles, service parts, and
accessories. The South America and Asia Pacific /Africa segments include primarily the sale of
Ford brand vehicles and related service parts and accessories. The Europe segment sells Ford
brand vehicles and related service parts and accessories in Europe, Turkey, and Russia (Born to
Sell, n.d.).
There is one crucial fact about Ford and the company’s financial history that is frequently
omitted in research: during the U.S. Housing crisis in 2008, which hit the U.S. automobile
industry months before and lasted entirely through the complete debacle, companies and entire
industries filed for a “bailout” from the U.S. Government. As the banking and automobile
industries were at the media’s top headlines for the bailout program, few media outlets
mentioned that Ford was the only large U.S. automobile manufacturer not participating in the
bailouts. There were additional details surrounding this, but the fact remains and demonstrates
City, Aichi Prefecture 471-8571, Japan. Toyota Motor Corporation is a multinational company
founded in 1937 and headquartered in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. Toyota was the world’s largest
automobile manufacturer by production in 2010. The primary markets for Toyota are Japan and
North America, but recently, we have seen strong growth in Asian and South American markets.
Figure 2
Toyota Worldwide Locations
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:World_locations_of_Toyota_factories.PNG
Ford developed its most recent leadership and cultural operating model from Allan
Mulally, Chief Operating Officer (CEO), until 2014, when he devised the plan “Working
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Together.” Mulally continued to guide the company by introducing the “One Ford,” a plan to
deliver profitable growth for all stakeholders and the greater good. “One Ford” represents a
Ford-wide DNA that still drives how things are done on every continent. This DNA creates
profitability and is derived from an intuitive knowledge of Ford’s customers worldwide and a
The current CEO, Jim Farley, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO), John Lawler, have built
on the culture initiated by Mulally with the company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation,
which leans heavily on relationships with customers to deepen their loyalty. Ford uses popular
Toyota aspires to realize the vision of “Mobility for All” while pursuing its mission to
produce “Happiness for All” through creating the value of the “Toyota Way” based on the spirit
of foundation. Toyota Way is the path to an ideal society, and every team member pioneers the
exact nature (Culture, 2023). Happiness for all is a renewed commitment to society,
sustainability, and employment equity. As Akio Toyoda, Toyota’s CEO, recently commented,
Toyota’s continued pledge to society expands from placing customers first to putting people first
Alan Mulally was the former President and CEO of The Ford Motor Company between
2006 and 2014. Before that and for over 37 years, Mulally held roles at Boeing, including
Executive Vice President of the Boeing Company, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial
Airplanes, and President of Boeing Defense and Space Systems. To say that Mulally has been at
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the helm of two of America’s most important and prominent brands is wildly understated
(Linkage, 2021).
During his tenure at Ford, Mulally led the organization’s transformation into one of the
world’s leading automobile companies. Ford also became the top automobile brand in the United
States (Pontefract, 2022). This information for this project is important because the many
features that Mulally put into place run through the veins of Ford today.
Before joining Ford in 2007, the current President and CEO, Jim Farley, was the group
vice president and general manager of Lexus, a Toyota Division, and the group vice president
responsible for all Toyota Division market planning, advertising, merchandising, sales
promotion, incentives, and internet activities. Farley previously worked in Toyota’s strategic
planning, product, and marketing in the United States and Europe and led the successful launch
of Toyota’s new Scion brand. In addition to his various roles at Ford, he is currently on the U.S.-
China Business Council and Harley-Davidson boards of directors. He is co-chair of the Future of
Mobility Commission. It was because the crossover from Lexus, Toyota’s Luxury Line, to Ford
In April of 2023, Koji Sato became President of Toyota Motor Corporation. Part of Koji
In addition, Sato Akio Toyoda (豊田 章男, Toyoda Akio, born May 3, 1956) is a
Japanese business executive who is the chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. He was
previously the company’s president and chief executive officer (CEO). Toyoda is a great-
grandson of the industrialist, Sakichi Toyoda, and a grandson of both the founder of Toyota
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Motors, Kiichiro Toyoda, and the founder of the Takashimaya department stores corporation,
Shinshichi Iida. On April 1, 2023, Toyoda stepped down as Toyota president and became
This section is limited to the accounting practices and reporting notes concerning Foreign
Ford Motor Company, a U.S. Corporation, uses U.S. GAAP to prepare its Consolidated
Financial Statements. The Foreign Currency Translation policy is taken from the Notes to
Financial Statements on the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Form 10-K, and
outlined below:
“Foreign Currency
from a reporting entity’s functional currency from the transactional currency to the legal
entity’s functional currency. The effect of this remeasurement process, and the results of
our foreign currency hedging activities are reported in Automotive Cost of Sales, Selling,
Administrative and Other Expenses, and Automotive Interest Income and Other Income,
net.
Generally, our foreign subsidiaries use the local currency as their functional currency.
We translate the assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries from their respective
functional currencies to U.S. dollars using end-of-period exchange rates. Changes in the
carrying value of these assets and liabilities attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates
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Comprehensive Income/(Loss).
the entity is reclassified to Income and recognized as part of the gain or loss on the
Toyota Motor Corporation replaced U.S. GAAP and embraced IFRS for its consolidated
financial statements starting in 2020. Toyota is affected by the rise and fall in foreign currency
exchange rates. Along with the movement of the Japanese yen, Toyota is subjected to changes in
the value of the U.S. dollar and other currencies (Toyota SEC, Form 20-F, 2018, p.7).
Translation risk is the threat that Toyota’s consolidated financial statements will be
exposed to from the changes in foreign currency rates. Although the translation threat is a
definite concern, it does not represent Toyota’s primary output from sales.
Toyota does not hedge against translation risk. Translation risk is the risk that the
currency structure of Toyota’s costs and liabilities will deviate from the currency structure of
sales proceeds and assets. Transaction risk relates primarily to sales proceeds from Toyota’s non-
II. (II-A.) The complete analysis of the companies’ financial statements and disclosures.
Discussion on how the differences might impact the decision made on whether to invest
The first observation with this comparison that takes a paramount position is the time frame
and dates used for comparison. This report will consider Ford’s and Toyota’s 2020 Consolidated
Financial Statements.
Ford and Toyota are two of the largest and well-known companies in the automotive
industry, with a significant global presence. A comparative analysis of their financial and non-
financial performance can provide valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each
company and can inform investment decisions in the industry (Xinyao et al., 2023).
In 2014, Ford used IFRS for internal reporting purposes, even though Ford is still
required to use U.S. GAAP for SEC filing purposes. Ford states that this saves the company
resources by making information and processes more cohesive between the 138 countries where
The two standards being discussed, U.S. GAAP and IFRS, have many similarities and
differences that can sway an investor’s view of purchase. One of the first differences to discuss is
how each company records and reports Research and Development (R&D) Costs. For Ford,
under U.S. GAAP, all R&D costs are expensed. On the other hand, for Toyota, IFRS also
expenses research costs. However, IFRS allows the capitalization of development costs.
To examine this difference further, we can look at Ford’s Notes to Financial Statements,
page 117. The statements disclose the research and development expenses reported in the Sales
Cost. Research and development costs are expensed when incurred, whether performed internally
or by a supplier. Advertising costs are disclosed in Selling, administrative, and other expenses as
incurred. R&D expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020, were $7.1 billion. Since this is
expensed on Ford’s statements and capitalized on Toyota’s, it would be reasonable to say that
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this is one of the adjusting amounts during a comparison. Adding this amount back to the Net
Income for Ford would clear this difference (Ford SEC, 2020).
A table showing differences between U.S. GAAP and IFRS is included to examine many
of the familiar adjustments needed for comparison. Figure 3 shows a view of the differences
Figure 3
https://media.wallstreetprep.com/uploads/2020/11/11133532/US-GAAP-vs.-IFRS-Cheat-Sheet-1.pdf
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(II-C.) Discussion on how the differences might impact the decision made on whether to
invest or not.
The overall climate of the automobile industry shows solid capital usage for research and
development (R&D) in the Electric Vehicle (E.V.) mass production market. Keeping this
information tangent will assist in considering the two companies based on their Net Profit alone.
Using the standards mentioned in the section above, Ford, using U.S. GAAP, must expense
100% of the R&D cost. There are a few exceptions to those costs which do not influence the
automobile industry and will remain unnamed. While using IFRS, Toyota can capitalize a
significant portion of its R&D cost. This method will show a higher Net Profit for Toyota than
for Ford. If an investor bases their decision to invest solely on Net Profit, then further
performance, and longevity (Xinyao et al., 2023). This analysis should involve the assessment of
a company’s financial statements to determine its profitability, liquidity, and solvency. Various
financial ratios and techniques are used to analyze financial information, providing insights into
Ford and Toyota using financial ratios renders the following details are shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4
2020 Financial Ratios
Co
mpiled with data from www.macrotrends.net
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The findings above state that Toyota had a higher Return on Assets than Ford, indicating
stronger profitability. In addition, Toyota had a higher current ratio than Ford, indicating
liquidity. Profitability ratios provide insights into a company’s ability to generate profits from its
operations. Liquidity ratios, like Current Ratio and Inventory Turnover, analyze a company’s
ability to meet short-term obligations. Solvency ratios provide information on a company’s long-
term debt-paying ability, shown with Debt to Equity. Figure 4 demonstrates that Toyota has a
better financial performance than Ford, with higher profitability, liquidity, and solvency ratios.
Apart from financial analysis, non-financial factors such as market share, brand
reputation, and customer satisfaction also play a significant role in the automotive industry. Ford
and Toyota have different market shares and brand reputations in the industry. Non-financial
The non-financial analysis highlights a company’s intangible assets, such as brand reputation,
employee satisfaction, and customer loyalty, which can significantly impact financial
performance and should be considered when determining an investment (Xinyao et al., 2023).
IV. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the companies’ annual report disclosures.
valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of each company and can inform investment
Relevance requires that accounting information can affect decisions made by its users.
complete information that is correct and has no errors. Verifiability and credibility are important
issues here. Unfortunately, both concepts are not always constant. At least for some reporting
items, the need to ensure the reliability of information may result in delayed publication, which
reduces relevance. For such things, users and standard-setting bodies need to stress either one or
towards relevance rather than reliability. The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB)
strives to provide decision-relevant information to investors and allows for timely recognition.
This focus includes fair value accounting, revaluation of assets, and revenue recognition based
on a percentage of completion. Considering this for the investor, IFRS may offer statements
V. Summary/recommendations of which company you would invest in and why you have
profitability, liquidity, solvency, and efficiency. Various financial ratios and techniques are used
to analyze financial statements, providing insights into a company’s performance and financial
position.
From 2010 until 2019, Ford’s stock performance wavered between share prices at
$18.85/share and $9.00/share, signifying a recovery from the last two decade’s financial plan.
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The main reason comes from Ford’s strategy, a four-point business plan created by the former
CEO Allan Mulally. In 2020, affected by the pandemic and the semiconductor shortage, Ford’s
Since the beginning of 2021, Ford’s stock price has rendered an upward path, ending the
year with a final stock price of $20.77/share (December 31, 2021). This turning point comes
from Ford’s restructuring program, which aids its business in fulfilling the demand for electric
passengers and seeking leadership positions in the E.V. market, technology, and self-driving
segments. According to Investor’s Business Daily, Inc., Ford’s recent push in E.V. assisted the
upward movement of shares to a 140% gain by the end of 2021, surpassing its all-time domestic
competitor for the first time in the past five years (Schöndube-Pirchegger & Schöndube, 2022).
Ford continues to face intense competition in the global automotive industry. The
company has struggled with declining sales in recent years, which has affected its market share
and profitability. Ford has responded to these challenges by investing in research and
development to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles and electric cars, which will help the
company compete in the rapidly changing market. Additionally, the company has expanded its
distribution network to markets such as China and India to increase its global reach.
A financial and non-financial analysis of Ford and Toyota are meant to assist an investor
investor can make a more informed decision. The financial analysis reveals that Toyota has
better financial health than Ford. However, Ford has shown advances in its financial
performance over the years, particularly in its profitability and customer loyalty. Both companies
face challenges in adapting to the rapidly changing automotive industry, particularly in the areas
Overall, a recommendation for a stock purchase must land with Ford. This decision leads
to looking beyond the financial ratios and concentrating on the company's foundation. Also,
during the last 30 years, the highs and lows of Toyota are evident. Toyota never completely
returned from the recalls and lawsuits associated with runaway accelerations, which tore through
If further financial details were needed, the transaction details surrounding ending
inventory valuations and R & D allocations are required. In the GAAP to IFRS graphic, Figure 3,
this study established that these areas strongly differ and should be compared on even values.
IFRS does not allow the use of Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) inventory valuation. In times of
increasing prices, labor, and overhead render a higher Net Profit. However, once processes are
refined, workers are trained, and the learning curve has flattened, LIFO can generate a lower Net
Profit. One must also consider the recognition of fixed assets and intangible assets at historical
Recommendations for Ford and Toyota, U.S. GAAP, and IFRS will include the
following. Firstly, Ford and Toyota should diligently focus on research and development (R&D)
investments to create innovative and sustainable products that meet future customers' needs. Ford
and Toyota should continue to focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices, as
this is important to customers and can provide a competitive advantage in the industry. Both
companies should pay attention to their supply chain management and ensure that their suppliers
adhere to ethical and social responsibility standards that align with corporate missions. This
reasoning is vital to maintain brand reputation and reduce the risk of negative publicity due to
unethical practices in the supply chain of both. This recommendation is supported by the study
by Xinyao et al. (2023), which found that companies that are responsive to external changes have
a better chance of long-term success. Lastly, in a forward-looking manner, U.S. GAAP has
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agreed to convergence with IFRS, which offers, perhaps, a future of a more global accounting
standard. This study recommends that these changes remain supported by all industries and
should be brought to the forefront of addressing U.S. GAAP vs. IFRS convergence issues.
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