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This project has the student select a company from the DOD Industrials Average (there are 30 companies represented in the DOD Industrials) and perform a business analysis of the company and several financial analyses of the company to assess important factors that impact its viability as well as a comparison of the company to a competitor or an industry average. Part 1: This assignment is due to be handed in by the end of Week 2. The student will choose a dividend paying company from the DOD Industrials average to analyze.
It helps if the student has some affinity to the many. Interest in the company may entice the student to do a more complete analysis. It may be a company with which the student has worked, a friend or family member has worked, a company in which the student has some stock or bonds, or a company from which the student purchases products. The student should discuss why the company was selected Could the company make more socially responsible decisions? Why or why not? The student should summarize the company’s dividend history (we will analyze this in Part 5) This is due Week 2.
Part 2: A company and industry overview is performed. This will include: A summary f the major businesses that the company operates, and the importance of each business segment to the company A brief history of the company including a discussion of how its products and services have evolved over time A discussion of the overall industry and how large the selected company is in the industry according to revenue and market capitalization This is due Week 3. Part 3: The student will perform a ratio analysis (see Chapter 3, Table 3. , for example) of the Income Statement and Balance Sheet of the company for the last 5 years and show any trends over time. Then the student will perform a similar analysis for the company’s major competitor or an industry average to compare and contrast how the company is performing against the competitor(s) over time. Emphasize suggested Managerial Actions based on your analysis. This is due Week 4. Part 4: A calculation of the company’s beta will be performed using the last 60 months of stock closing data on the company versus the S 500 average stock closing prices.
Another analysis should be performed using the last 52 weeks of those same closing prices. This will permit the student to contrast the difference between the short and long term betas to see if the volatility of the company has increased, decreased, or stayed the same. This is due Week 5. Part 5: The student will calculate what the company’s stock price should be based on its dividend policy. An estimate should be made (and Justified) for the discount rate used in the calculation. In addition, any bonds the company has outstanding should be analyzed to assess how debt investors have done lately.
This is due Week 6. Final Project – Project Requirements Each Part of the Final Project must be written as a paper and will be graded according to the grading rubric below. The intent is that MBA students demonstrate asters AT Atlanta calculations as well as analyses Ana results. Each paper should include the following sections: 1) Title page 2) Introduction 3) Thesis 4) Conclusion 5) Bibliography communication AT The Title page should include the student’s name, the date, and Assignment Title.
The Introduction is often the most important section in business communication since few managers will read past a poor introduction. The introduction should grab the reader’s interest and state the relevant background and purpose. The Thesis or body of the paper should articulate the main idea of the assignment. A DOD thesis takes a position and supports the position with data and evidence. In order to organize the thesis, this section may need several subtopics depending on the length of the thesis.
Business communication is highly dependent on efficient graphics. Use tables and graphs to illustrate key points and summarize key data. The Conclusion should be an excellent summary of the topic, with all subtopics in proper order and with strong concluding ideas. Make sure you do not add any new ideas in the conclusion. This section should concisely summarize your analysis and managerial recommendations. The Bibliography should properly cite sources. Your project will require financial data, and the data source must be properly cited.
A well-researched topic will have several sources. Note that the paper format is required on all Parts of the Project, even Parts 3-6 where there are significant financial calculations. Again, the intent is to have students master the calculations AND articulate the implications of the calculations. Papers should be double-spaced and use no less than a 10 point font. Each Part should be about 3-6 pages in length, but I will grade on quality of information, ideas, and analysis (as per the rubric) – not quantity.