Pick a publically traded company (Apple) that you want to research.
The premise of the paper is that you work for a company
(HTC) that wants to enter into an agreement with the company you chose. You are
to do an financial analysis on your company because what if HTC enters into a
partnership and they go bankrupt? Your boss wants to make sure the company you
chose is financially stable.
The description from the syllabus is below as well.
In the course content is the grading rubric. I have attached
it here as well for you.
You are to analyze specific things regarding the company you
choose – financial statements, ratio analysis, stock analysis, other areas.
The grading rubric gives you really specific details of what
your paper should include and how each part will be graded.
What I can do, I’ll do it Wednesday, is post a sample
“A” paper in our classroom.
The hard things is no one can do their paper on the same
company as the one I post so I have to pick a previous A paper that was on an
obscure company.
At least it will give you an idea of style and format.
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more
questions.
Prof. GMitter
—- FINANCIAL RESEARCH PROJECT ——-
Worth 20% of the course grade.
Due date is stated in the course schedule.
THE PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO BE COMPLETED INDIVIDUALLY BY THE
STUDENT.
I SITUATION:
OBJECTIVE
The specific objective of this graded written research
exercise is to prepare an “executive level financial report” to the
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a mythical company in which you are employed
as a financial analyst. This report will
pertain to the financial evaluation of a real, publicly-traded, company. It
will require independent research (web-based or library), careful financial
analysis, and the proper application of key financial theories and formulas.
The company that is to be analyzed for this project will be
selected by the student.
SITUATION
You are a financial analyst with the mythical High
Technology Corporation (“HTC”). HTC is an established manufacturer of
a line of electronic components, which services an international market. HTC is
currently a new fully-integrated wireless communication service for world-wide
use.
A competitive technical and economic product evaluation has
determined that THE COMPANY THAT IS TO BE ANALYZED (a real publicly-traded
company) is the best potential candidate for a long-term commitment. THE COMPANY (COMPANY SELECTED BY THE STUDENT)
is offering a competitively favorable deal.
However, based on some serious general concerns about the
fallout of companies in the industry in general, the CEO has asked your CFO to
conduct a financial analysis of THE COMPANY to determine if it is prudent to
commit to this company’s communication system.
The cost of cutting over to the new communications system is significant
and any interruption in support during the next few years would adversely
affect HTC’s performance and profit.
Specifically, the question is: will THE COMPANY be
financially viable over the next two to three years?
YOUR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT
Your specific assignment is to research, analyze, and
prepare a report for the CFO on the actual financial performance of THE
COMPANY. In addition to reviewing the
traditional financial performance indicators, you are also to review THE
COMPANY’S past and current stock performance. Your report includes three parts:
(1) An
evaluation of THE COMPANY’S financial performance for the last three years.
DuPont analysis and analysis of significant financial performance results are
required for the last three years.
(2) An
evaluation of THE COMPANY’S stock performance for the last one year.
(3) Finally, a
specific recommendation, with supporting rationale, as to whether or not THE
COMPANY’S recent trend in financial and stock performance is of sufficient financial
strength to warrant entering into a long-term commitment.
To assist you in your task, the CFO has provided the
following general guidance. Since it is recognized that the industry is
undergoing a major contraction, it is very important to comparatively evaluate
THE COMPANY’S financial and stock performance trends against its Industry.
You may wish to include all necessary and relevant financial
performance and stock information, trends, and projections in supporting your
recommendation. These factors may include, financial ratio trends and industry
comparatives, capital spending, stock growth, Beta values, credit rating
service valuations, bond rating valuations, and management and investment
reports – when these documents are available.
REPORT REQUIREMENTS
YOUR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT
Research and analyze the following information for THE
COMPANY:
–Annual Balance Sheets for THE COMPANY for the last three
years.
–The Income Statements for THE COMPANY the last three
years.
— Annual reports, 10K or 10Q——
–Industry norms
———–
—Analysts’ reports on performance
— Management reports or press releases
Using this information the students have to develop
evaluation of the financial performance for THE COMPANY. (Totally 85% of the assignment grade)
-1âBackground and Industry (one short paragraph).
-2âSelect of most significant financial performance results
for the company: Compare Revenue, net income, working capital, total assets for
the last three years and other results of your choice of the company against
the industry or main competitor. Present the table with this information in
your report. Write about 1 page of the analysis of these financial performance
results. (15% of the project grade)
-3âFind financial ratios for the company and its major
competitor in the Internet. Write about 1-2 pages of analysis of the ratio
results you received. (15% of the project grade). Compare the ratio results
against the industry or main competitor. Write about 1 page on your analysis of
the ratios.
-4- Evaluate Return on Equity for the company for the last
three years using the DuPont analysis. (10% of the project grade). Compare the
company’s results to a major competitor.
Taking the information from the Income statements and the
Balance sheets, calculate the company’s return on equity using the DuPont
technique for the company for three years. Show your calculation!
Write about 1 page of analysis of the results that you
received. Compare the results to main competitor. If the management of the
company would like to improve their return on equity, what should the
management of these companies do?
-5- Evaluate other areas of financial analysis: capital
spending, stock growth, Beta values, credit rating service valuations (if
possible), bond rating valuations (if possible), etc. Make an overall
conclusion about financial performance of the company during the last years.
Compare the results that you received against the industry or main
competitor. Summarize the results that
you received in 1 page. What are the firm’s financial strengths and weaknesses?
(10% of the project grade)
-6- Collect and evaluate the data about stock performance of
the assigned company’s for the last one year. Compare the results that you
received against the industry or main competitor.
Write about 1-2 pages of analysis of the stock results you
received. (20% of the project grade).
-7- Develop a specific recommendation, with supporting
rationale, as to whether or not the assigned company’s recent trend in
financial and stock performance is of sufficient financial strength to warrant
entering into a long-term commitment (about 1 page) (15% of the project grade)
PRESENTATION OF PAPER AND WRITING (15%) of the project
grade):
-Organization, Format and Presentation of Paper including
the Title page, Introduction, Body, and Summary (4% of the project grade)
Use of Tables, Figures and Other Graphics to Summarize and
Support Analysis Presented in the Paper (3% of the project grade)
Logical and Smooth Flowing Transitions and Relationships
Among Sections of the Written Report (3% of the project grade)
Research Sources and Significance of Research Information
and Data, Use of APA Citation Methodology (5% of the project grade)
Your final report is to be an executive-level financial
report, directed to the CFO. This report should be about 8 -10 double-spaced
typewritten pages (without tables and graphs). Include suitable comparative,
quantitative and qualitative analyses and conclude with a specific and
supported recommendation on the projected financial viability of THE COMPANY for the next several years.
Essential research data, financial calculations and other
documentation as necessary to support your recommendation should be referred to
in summary form in your report and attached in detail as enclosures. All major sources should be referenced. There is no set limit to the size of the
enclosures, but it is recommended that only essential enclosures be attached.
You should use references and bibliography to identify any remaining supporting
documents you wish to include.
Format of the Research Project:
The Data Exercise must be posted to the LEO Student
Assignments as a Attachments are limited to a maximum two files in doc, docx.,
xls. xlsx., or rtf. formats. OTHER FORMATS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE, will not be
reviewed or graded.
Please note that hand-written and scanned works, pdf. files,
jpg. files, as well as files posted in google drive, will not be accepted or
graded.
The paper should be written in APA style Research Paper
format.
Please note that Use of APA Citation Methodology is required
for the assignment.
All works must be Word processed. Handwritten and scanned
work will not be accepted and graded.
This report is an individual effort and must be researched,
developed and prepared by you. All
questions related to this assignment, should be referred to the mythical CFO
(i.e., your instructor).
Research Project
————————-(25% of the course grade)
The students have to complete an individual financial
research project. The purpose of this assignment is to test the student’s
ability to research, analyze, and present financial information. The students
will be required to research key financial data, analyze the information, apply
the appropriate financial concepts and formulas and prepare a credible
management level financial report.
The Financial Research Project, as described below, is due,
submitted via LEO, in your homework folder, no later than the due date
indicated on the course schedule.
Your specific assignment for the project is described in the
“Project Description” area of the syllabus.
Format of the Research Project:
The report should be about 8-10 double-spaced typewritten
pages (without tables and graphs).
The paper must be posted to the LEO Student Assignments as
an attachment and are limited to a maximum of two files in doc, docx, xls,
xlsx, or rtf, formats.
The paper should be written in APA style research paper
format.
In accordance with UMUC Academic Policy, notes taken for
papers and research projects should accurately record sources of material to be
cited, appropriately quoted, paraphrased or summarized, and papers should
acknowledge these sources in the appropriate places in the text of the paper,
as well as in a reference list at the end of the paper. No more than 30% of the
text of the paper should be made up of quotes.
The resubmission of research projects from previous classes,
partially or in its entirety, is unacceptable, and will result in a grade of
zero for the paper.
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