Justify the final decision you made for Brent?

In its 2016 annual report, caterpillar inc. reported the following (in millions): 2016 2015 sales $38,537 $47,011 cost of goods sold 28,309 33,546 as a percentage of sales, did caterpillar's gross profit increase or decrease during 2016? select one: a. gross profit increased from 26.8% to 28.6% b. gross profit decreased from 28.6% to 26.5% c. gross profit increased from 71.4% to 73.2% d. gross profit decreased from 73.2% to 71.4% e. there is not enough information to answer the question.

For each of the following users of financial accounting information and managerial accounting information, specify whether the user would primarily use financial accounting information or managerial accounting information or both: 1. sec examiner 2. bookkeeping department 3. division controller 4. external auditor (public accounting firm) 5. loan officer at the company's bank 6. state tax agency auditor 7. board of directors 8. manager of the service department 9. wall street analyst 10. internal auditor 11. potential investors 12, current stockholders 13. reporter from the wall street journal 14. regional division managers

Is exploiting a distinctive competence or improving efficiency for competitive advantage. (a) cooptation (b) coalition (c) competitive intelligence (d) competitive aggression (e) smoothing