Portfolio Project – Dell, Inc. The origins of Dell, Inc. date back over 25 years, when it was founded as PC's Limited (Edwards , 2007). This small company began when its founder, Michael Dell, began building personal computers for students at the University of Texas. Today, Dell has expanded its product line to offer more than just computers; they also sell entertainment and office equipment. Dell executives, guided by the company's code of conduct, have shown a clear commitment to environmental issues and frequently publicize the ways the company has developed new techniques to reduce its energy use and waste. of products (“Last updated”, 2010). The main reason for Dell's success is its ability to manage the financial health of its business. This success is reflected in the company's financial statements. There are three main financial statements that must be evaluated to understand the financial position of a company: the balance sheet, the income statement, and the company's cash flow statement (Keown, Martin, and Petit, 2011). The balance sheet provides an overview of the company's financial position as of a given date and includes information about the company's assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity. This particular financial statement is an overview of what the company owns and what it owes (“Beginner’s Guide to Financial Statements,” 2007). An analysis of Dell's current balance sheet shows that they have approximately $40 million in assets, including $29 million in current assets. This means that the company expects to transform this amount of current assets into cash over the next 12 months (Keown, Martin, and Petty, 2011). A closer look at Dell's balance sheet reveals that the first...... middle of paper ......1087&p=irol-reportsAnnualKeown, AJ, Martin, JD, & Petty, JW (2011). Fundamentals of Finance: The Logic and Practice of Financial Management (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Latest update on Dell's corporate responsibility progress. (2010, October). Retrieved from http://content.dell.com/us/en/corp/d/corp-comm/cr-newsletter.aspxLoan Pricing. (nd). Omniglot. Retrieved from http://www.omniglot.com/info-articles/chicago/loans-rates.html Ogg, JC (January 27, 2011). The new giant corporate dividend candidates for 2011. Wall Street 24/7. Retrieved from http://247wallst.com/2011/01/27/2011s-new-dividend- -from-giant-companies-amgn-brk-a-dell-ebay-emc-kss-csco-aapl/2/Peavler , R. (nd). Use profitability ratios in financial ratio analysis. About.com. Retrieved from http://bizfinance.about.com/od/financialratios/a/Profitability_Ratios.htm