Marks and Spencer is one of the leading and the most recognized name Research Paper

Marks and Spencer is one of the leading and the most recognized name in the fashion industry - Research Paper Example The company, by applying prudent marketing techniques, has been able to grab market share of around 11.7% by value and 12.4% by volume. Marks and Spencer has also been actively involved in the business of marketing and selling edible products which has earned the company immense revenue in the past few years. Through its unmatchable food quality, Marks and Spencer is now regarded as one of the finest when it comes to quality food products. The financial outlook of the company also looks quite stable. During the financial year of 2012, the company has been able to increase its revenue by an impressive 2.0% to a striking ?9.9 billion though the operating profit of the company took a slight downward plunge of about 1.2%. In addition, the financial ratio analysis of the company and the comparison of the company with its competitor also show that a positive financial outlook can be forecasted. INTRODUCTION The paper presents evaluates the financial performance of Marks and Spencer, a high ly recognized name in the fashion market. Marks and Spencer is a listed company and has been operating lucratively for the past many years. The company operations have been highly successful in the past many years and it portrays sound and stable financial outlook. Following is a brief and recent financial highlight of the company Financial Highlight of the Company The paper primarily discusses the financial outlook of the company as evaluated through its financial statements. The initial section of the page discusses the key operations of the company and under what conditions it is operating in the UK market. The paper briefly discuses the historical financial performance of the company focusing group revenue and profit before and after tax. Moving forward, the paper presents a comparison of the current and last year financial performance of the company through financial statement ratio analysis. The primary reason to conduct a ratio analysis is to quantify the results of the opera tions of a company and compare them with that of the prior year(s) in order to assess different aspects of the financial feasibility. The ratios are divided into profitability, liquidity and gearing ratios. The paper identifies the areas, through ratio analysis, where the company is performing well and where it needs improvements. In conclusion the paper presents a comparison of the financial and operational performance of Marks and Spencer with one of its primary competitors, Debenhams. Major financial ratios are compared and in addition, historical share prices are also analyzed of both companies in order to identify which company has a better market capitalization and better reputation from investor’s perspective. For the purpose of the financial analysis, the historical financial information from the financial year 2012 till 2008 has been used. RECENT ANALYSIS OF UK RETAIL INDUSTRY During the current financial year 2012, the UK retail industry witnessed a mix trend. As re ported by the Marks and Spencer in its press releases, the start of the current financial year was better than expected and the company reaped great profit. However it was observed that later half of the current year proved to be more difficult for doing business, especially the month of August and September. During that particular period, the share price of Marks and Sp