Reference no: EM133870701
Advanced Corporate Finance
Assessment: Cash study
You and your teammates are financial analysts for a public limited firm. As financial analysts in a public limited company, your task is to evaluate a firm's financial standing based on key corporate finance principles. Through this analysis, you will assess whether the company is well-managed or facing financial challenges, ultimately providing informed recommendations.
1. Purpose
This case study is designed to bridge theoretical concepts with practical applications. Rather than simply learning corporate finance in the abstract, this task requires you to analyze a real-world company using the models and frameworks covered in the course. While you may need to make certain assumptions due to data limitations, your ability to critically apply finance concepts within a structured analysis is key. The goal is not just to answer predefined questions but to develop a broader understanding of a firm's financial decisions and overall performance.
2. Context
Choose a company listed on the ASX 50, excluding firms in the financial sector. The selected company should have at least five recent annual reports or equivalent financial disclosures accessible through electronic databases and corresponding stock price data over the same period. While you may incorporate financial metrics obtained from third-party providers, conducting and presenting your calculations in Excel is highly recommended, ensuring transparency and accuracy.
To support your analysis, you should draw from publicly available sources, including company reports, investor materials, and corporate websites. Reliable financial data platforms such as Yahoo Finance and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) provide essential information on stock prices, company profiles, and historical financials. The University Library's databases, including ABI/INFORM Complete (ProQuest), the Annual Reports Collection, Connect 4, and DatAnalysis Premium, offer valuable and convenient access to high-quality corporate data.
3. Timing
It is important to start early, as this case study involves extensive data collection and analysis. (Do not wait until week 9).
4. Structure
This case study is structured around key objectives guiding your analysis across selected corporate finance topics. While a framework of questions is provided to support your thinking, your responses should go beyond simply answering each question. In some cases, not all questions may directly apply to your chosen company, and thoughtful judgment is encouraged when tailoring your analysis. You are expected to incorporate relevant financial analysis to strengthen your arguments-even drawing on concepts from other areas of your program where appropriate. The report should be between 3,000 and 4,500 words, excluding references, tables, figures, and appendices. Above all, emphasis should be placed on the quality and depth of your insights rather than the length of your submission.