Solved by verified expert :III. Assignment and Rubric:
Assignment 1: Financial Research Report
Due Week 10 and Worth 300 points
Imagine that you are a financial manager researching investments for
your client that align with its investment goals. Use the Internet or the Strayer
Library to research any U.S. publicly traded company that you may consider as
an investment opportunity for your client. (Note: Please ensure that you are able to find enough information
about this company in order to complete this assignment. You will create an
appendix, in which you will insert related information.)
The assignment covers the following topics:
Rationale
for choosing the company for which to invest
Ratio
analysis
Stock
price analysis
Recommendations
Write a ten to fifteen (10-15) page paper in which you:
Provide
a rationale for the U.S. publicly traded company that you selected,
indicating the significant factors driving your decision as a financial
manager.
Determine
the profile of the investor for which this company may be a fit, relative
to that potential investor’s investment strategy. Provide support for your
rationale.
Select
any five (5) financial ratios that you have learned about in the text.
Analyze the past three (3) years of the company’s financial data, which
you may obtain from the company’s financial statements. Determine the
company’s financial health. (Note:
Suggested ratios include, but are not limited to: Liquidity ratios; Asset
Management ratios; Debt Management ratios; Profitability Ratios; and
Market Value ratios.)
Based
on your financial review, determine the risk level of the company from
your investor’s point of view. Indicate key strategies that you may use in
order to minimize these perceived risks.
Provide
your recommendations of this stock as an investment opportunity. Support
your rationale with resources, such as peer-reviewed articles or material
from the Strayer Library.
Use
at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia, Investopedia and
other similar Websites to not qualify as academic resources.
Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
Be
typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch
margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or
school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional
instructions.
Include
a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name,
the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and
the reference page are not included in the required assignment page
length.
The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment
are:
Critique
financial management strategies that support business operations in
various market environments.
Analyze
financial statements for key ratios, cash flow positions, and taxation
effects.
Review
fixed income strategies using time value of money concept, bond valuation
methods, and interest rate calculations.
Estimate
the risk and return on financial investments.
Apply
financial management options to corporate finance.
Determine
the cost of capital and how to maximize returns.
Formulate
cash flow analysis for capital projects including project risks and
returns.
Evaluate
how corporate valuation and forecasting affect financial management.
Analyze
how capital structure decision-making practices impact financial
management.
Design
working capital management concepts to enhance tactical financial
strategies.
Use
technology and information resources to research issues in financial
management.
Write
clearly and concisely about financial management using proper writing
mechanics.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic /
organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following
rubric.
Points: 300
Assignment 1: Financial Research Report
Criteria
Unacceptable
Below 70% F
Fair
70-79% C
Proficient
80-89% B
Exemplary
90-100% A
1. Provide a rationale for the U.S. publicly
traded company that you selected, indicating the significant factors driving your
decision as a financial manager.
Weight: 15%
Did not submit or incompletely provided a
rationale for the U.S. publicly traded company that you selected; did not
submit or incompletely indicated the significant factors driving your
decision as a financial manager.
Partially provided a rationale for the U.S.
publicly traded company that you selected; partially indicated the
significant factors driving your decision as a financial manager.
Satisfactorily provided a rationale for the
U.S. publicly traded company that you selected; satisfactorily indicated the
significant factors driving your decision as a financial manager.
Thoroughly provided a rationale for the U.S.
publicly traded company that you selected; thoroughly indicated the
significant factors driving your decision as a financial manager.
2. Determine the profile of the investor for
which this company may be a fit, relative to that potential investor’s
investment strategy. Provide support for your rationale.
Weight: 15%
Did not submit or incompletely determined
the profile of the investor for which this company may be a fit, relative to
that potential investor’s investment strategy. Did not submit or incompletely
provided support for your rationale.
Partially determined the profile of the investor
for which this company may be a fit, relative to that potential investor’s
investment strategy. Partially provided support for your rationale.
Satisfactorily determined the profile of the
investor for which this company may be a fit, relative to that potential
investor’s investment strategy. Satisfactorily provided support for your
rationale.
Thoroughly determined the profile of the
investor for which this company may be a fit, relative to that potential
investor’s investment strategy. Thoroughly provided support for your
rationale.
3. Select any five (5) financial ratios that
you have learned about in the text. Analyze the past three (3) years of the
company’s financial data, which you may obtain from the company’s financial
statements. Determine the company’s financial health. (Note: Suggested ratios include, but are not limited to, current
ratio, quick ratio, earnings per share, and price earnings ratio.)
Weight: 20%
Did not submit or incompletely selected any
five (5) financial ratios that you have learned about in the text. Did not
submit or incompletely analyzed the past three (3) years of the company’s
financial data, which you may obtain from the company’s financial statements.
Did not submit or incompletely determined the company’s financial health.
Partially selected any five (5) financial
ratios that you have learned about in the text. Partially analyzed the past
three (3) years of the company’s financial data, which you may obtain from
the company’s financial statements. Partially determined the company’s
financial health.
Satisfactorily selected any five (5)
financial ratios that you have learned about in the text. Satisfactorily
analyzed the past three (3) years of the company’s financial data, which you
may obtain from the company’s financial statements. Satisfactorily determined
the company’s financial health.
Thoroughly selected any five (5) financial
ratios that you have learned about in the text. Thoroughly analyzed the past
three (3) years of the company’s financial data, which you may obtain from
the company’s financial statements. Thoroughly determined the company’s
financial health.
4. Based on your financial review, determine
the risk level of the company from your investor’s point of view. Indicate
key strategies that you may use in order to minimize these perceived risks.
Weight: 15%
Did not submit or incompletely determined
the risk level of the company from your investor’s point of view based on
your financial review. Did not submit or incompletely indicated key
strategies that you may use in order to minimize these perceived risks.
Partially determined the risk level of the
company from your investor’s point of view based on your financial review.
Partially indicated key strategies that you may use in order to minimize these
perceived risks.
Satisfactorily determined the risk level of
the company from your investor’s point of view based on your financial
review. Satisfactorily indicated key strategies that you may use in order to
minimize these perceived risks.
Thoroughly determined the risk level of the
company from your investor’s point of view based on your financial review.
Thoroughly indicated key strategies that you may use in order to minimize
these perceived risks.
5. Provide your recommendations of this
stock as an investment opportunity. Support your rationale with resources,
such as peer-reviewed articles or material from the Strayer Library.
Weight: 20%
Did not submit or incompletely provided your
recommendations of this stock as an investment opportunity. Did not submit or
incompletely supported your rationale with resources, such as peer-reviewed
articles or material from the Strayer Library.
Partially provided your recommendations of
this stock as an investment opportunity. Partially supported your rationale
with resources, such as peer-reviewed articles or material from the Strayer
Library.
Satisfactorily provided your recommendations
of this stock as an investment opportunity. Satisfactorily supported your
rationale with resources, such as peer-reviewed articles or material from the
Strayer Library.
Thoroughly provided your recommendations of
this stock as an investment opportunity. Thoroughly supported your rationale
with resources, such as peer-reviewed articles or material from the Strayer
Library.
6. 5 references
Weight: 5%
No references provided
Does not meet the required number of
references; some or all references poor quality choices.
Meets number of required references; all
references high quality choices.
Exceeds number of required references; all
references high quality choices.
7. Clarity, writing mechanics, and
formatting requirements
Weight: 10%
More than 6 errors present
5-6 errors present
3-4 errors present
0-2 errors present
Other Information about the Financial Research
Report –
1. Work Hard to Avoid Personal Pronouns –
The excessive use of personal pronouns is discouraged in business and
analytical writing. It is recommended
that personal pronouns are avoided altogether, if possible. Please make sure that personal pronouns (e.g.,
I, we, my, our, etc.) are avoided in paper.
It will take some work, but it can be done easily by rearranging the
wording of sentences.
2. Companies
Are Not “They” or “Their” – This is a reminder that a company is not a
“they” or “their.” A company is very
much an “it.” So, to reference a
company, use “it,” the name of the company, or “the company,” or “the
organization,” or “the firm,” etc.
3. Subheadings – Each section of the
paper must begin with a sub-heading.
Please use the sub-headings included in the required outline (presented
in the next section).
4. File Format– The writing assignment
report must be submitted in Word file format.
It is acceptable to attach exhibits and appendices in Word or Excel
format. PowerPoint, pdf, and other file
formats are not acceptable and will not be evaluated.
5.Cover Page – Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the
student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.
6. Source of Useful
Information – Please remember that financial statements and other useful
information are available from the Mergent Online database that is available to
you through the Strayer University Learning Resource Center (online). Please notice that financial ratios are grouped
into appropriate categories (Profitability Ratios, Liquidity Ratios, Debt
Management Ratios, and Asset Management Ratios), which makes it easy to set up
the ratios and use them in the analysis.
The following
information is intended to help you with using the Mergent Online Database
available in the Strayer Learning Resource Center:
Financial
Statements for companies, financial ratios, and Form 10K annual reports can be
obtained from the Strayer University “Learning Resource Center,” which is
accessible from the Online Classroom (see tab at the top of the screen).
Select –
Learning Resource Center
Select –
Databases
Select –
Mergent Online
Then, in the
block titled “Company Search – Enter Symbol or Company Name” enter the
company’s name or its Stock Ticker Symbol (e.g., for Deere & Company, enter
DE). Next, select the company from the
drop-down menu.
For Financial
Statements – Select “Company Financials” tab
For Financial
Ratios – Select “Company Financials” tab and “Ratios” sub-tab
For Form 10K
Annual Reports – Select “Filings” tab (and then select the most recent Annual
Form 10K report)
