Financial Case Study Paper
Review the rubric to make sure you understand the criteria for earning your grade.
Select a large public corporation as the subject of your research.
Conduct research on the company’s financial strengths, weaknesses, and risks.
Sources of research information might consist of (but are not limited to) annual financial reports published by the company, news articles and analyst opinions, interviews with management, and reputable internet sources that provide comparable industry financial information.
Recommended financial news and data sites include Yahoo Finance, Reuters, Morningstar, and MSN Money. Extensive data and analysis is also available through OCLS.
For instance, detailed company profiles can be found for most large companies in the Business Source Complete database.
From the library homepage (OCLS), under “Find Your Database,” select the word “Business.” On the next page, select “Business Source Complete.” You may be asked to login at this point, and you should then be in the Business Source Complete database.
At the top-center of the screen, find the word “MORE.” Hover over the word, and you will get a drop-down menu where you can choose Company Profiles. Select and you will be taken to a screen where you can search for a company.
A minimum of 12 unique research sources from reputable scholarly, news, or industry sources are required. The sources should represent an appropriately well-balanced variety of perspectives.
Construct a financial analysis case study of the company. The paper should be well-organized into logical sections, covering a spectrum of topics to support the final recommendation. These topics should include:
Brief overview of the company, its management, its history, and its product lines.
A brief discussion of any relevant domestic or international environmental factors, including political, economic, social, environment, or technological factors that are significantly impacting financial results of your chosen company.
Evaluation of the company’s financial strengths and weaknesses, based on a ratio analysis of at least the last three years’ financial statements.
Consider key financial ratios for the company you have selected. Include a small table in your paper listing at least 10 key financial ratios for the company.
These ratios are readily available from internet sources for all large public corporations. Refer to Chapter 3 of your textbook as necessary to refresh your memory on financial ratios.
Compare and contrast the key ratios you selected to at least two of the company’s main competitors. Show the ratios of these competitors side-by-side to the company you are researching in the table of ratios you have created.
Identify areas of financial strength and weakness based on your analysis.
Evaluation of the company’s capital structure and financial risk.
Compare the company’s capital structure (use of debt and equity) relative to its main competitors. Discuss any advantages or disadvantages such a structure might afford the company.
Discuss the characteristics of the company’s common stock, as well as any preferred stock or bonds. These characteristics could include the recent market performance of these financial instruments, differing classes of stock or special bond features, along with any public information about dividend history or policy.
Locate the company’s beta from a reputable financial news source, such as Yahoo Finance or Morningstar. Discuss the implications for the company of this beta and evaluate it relative to the larger industry or the company’s main competitor.
Locate or calculate the company’s weighted average cost of capital based on the information you have uncovered. A good source for this information is ValuePro. Discuss how this weighted average cost of capital would serve as a competitive advantage or disadvantage for the company.
Identify areas of financial risk facing the company based on your analysis.
Conclude your paper with a few thoughtful, actionable recommendations for company management to minimize weaknesses, mitigate risks, or more fully capitalize on strengths.
These recommendations must be well-grounded in and supported by your financial analysis.
Include at least one biblical reference that applies to this company’s circumstances that guided your recommendations.
You should consult at least the latest three full years of the company’s financial reports in order to prepare your analysis. These financial reports should be attached as an appendix to the completed paper.
The completed paper should consist of a minimum of 12 pages of content (not including cover, reference, and appendix pages).
Your paper should be professionally written and follow full APA format, with all appropriate citations, references, and formatting.
For questions on APA style, go to the APA Style Guide.
When you’ve completed your final course project, save a copy for yourself and submit by the end of the workshop. (Turnitin will be enabled.)
| Criteria | Exceeds Expectations | Meets Expectations | Needs Improvement | Inadequate/Not Submitted | Criterion Score |
| Company Overview | 10 points
(10 Points) You demonstrated clear, insightful critical thinking in presenting a brief overview of the company, its management, its history, and its product lines. |
9 points
(9-8 Points) You demonstrated competent critical thinking in presenting a brief overview of the company, its management, its history, and its product lines. |
7 points
(7-6 Points) You demonstrated limited critical thinking in presenting a brief overview of the company, its management, its history, and its product lines. |
5 points
(5-0 Points) You demonstrated little to no critical thinking in presenting a brief overview of the company, its management, its history, and its product lines. |
Score of Company Overview,
/ 10 |
| Discussion of Relevant External Factors | 10 points
(10 Points) You demonstrated clear, insightful critical thinking in discussing relevant domestic or international political, economic, social, environment, or technological factors that are significantly impacting financial results. |
9 points
(9-8 Points) You demonstrated competent critical thinking in discussing relevant domestic or international political, economic, social, environment, or technological factors that are significantly impacting financial results. |
7 points
(7-6 Points) You demonstrated limited critical thinking in discussing relevant domestic or international political, economic, social, environment, or technological factors that are significantly impacting financial results. |
5 points
(5-0 Points) You demonstrated little to no critical thinking in discussing relevant domestic or international political, economic, social, environment, or technological factors that are significantly impacting financial results. |
Score of Discussion of Relevant External Factors,
/ 10 |
| Ratio Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses | 20 points
(20 Points) You demonstrated clear, insightful critical thinking in evaluating key financial ratios for the company, comparing them to competitors, and identifying areas of financial strength or weakness. |
19 points
(19-16 Points) You demonstrated competent critical thinking in evaluating key financial ratios for the company, comparing them to competitors, and identifying areas of financial strength or weakness. |
15 points
(15-10 Points) You demonstrated limited critical thinking in evaluating key financial ratios for the company, comparing them to competitors, and identifying areas of financial strength or weakness. |
9 points
(9-0 Points) You demonstrated little to no critical thinking in evaluating key financial ratios for the company, comparing them to competitors, and identifying areas of financial strength or weakness. |
Score of Ratio Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses,
/ 20 |
| Capital Structure and Financial Risk Analysis | 20 points
(20 Points) You demonstrated clear, insightful critical thinking in evaluating the company’s financial structure and identifying areas of potential financial risk. |
19 points
(19-16 Points) You demonstrated competent critical thinking in evaluating the company’s financial structure and identifying areas of potential financial risk. |
15 points
(15-10 Points) You demonstrated limited critical thinking in evaluating the company’s financial structure and identifying areas of potential financial risk. |
9 points
(9-0 Points) You demonstrated little to no critical thinking in evaluating the company’s financial structure and identifying areas of potential financial risk. |
Score of Capital Structure and Financial Risk Analysis,
/ 20 |
| Recommendations | 20 points
(20 Points) You demonstrated clear, insightful critical thinking in developing and presenting thoughtful, actionable, well-supported recommendations for company management to minimize weaknesses, mitigate risks, or more fully capitalize on strengths. |
19 points
(19-16 Points) You demonstrated competent critical thinking in developing and presenting thoughtful, actionable, well-supported recommendations for company management to minimize weaknesses, mitigate risks, or more fully capitalize on strengths. |
15 points
(15-11 Points) You demonstrated limited critical thinking in developing and presenting thoughtful, actionable, well-supported recommendations for company management to minimize weaknesses, mitigate risks, or more fully capitalize on strengths. |
10 points
(10-0 Points) You demonstrated little to no critical thinking in developing and presenting thoughtful, actionable, well-supported recommendations for company management to minimize weaknesses, mitigate risks, or more fully capitalize on strengths. |
Score of Recommendations,
/ 20 |
| Writing Quality | 20 points
(20 Points) Your sentence structure is complete with correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization and varied diction and word choices.
Your assignment length is correct, and there are a more than sufficient number of sources cited.
Your APA formatting is professional and accurate. |
19 points
(19-16 Points) Your sentence structure has minor errors (fragments, run-ons) with correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization but limited diction and word choices.
Your assignment length is correct, and there are a sufficient number of sources cited.
Your APA formatting is generally professional and accurate, with only a few minor errors. |
15 points
(15-11 Points) Your sentence structure has several errors in sentence fluency with multiple fragments/run-ons, poor spelling, punctuation, and/or word choice.
Your assignment length is inappropriate, or there are an insufficient number of sources cited.
Your APA formatting is inaccurate with several significant errors. |
10 points
(10-0 Points) Your sentence structure has serious and persistent errors in sentence fluency, sentence structure, spelling, punctuation, and/or word choice.
Your assignment length is inappropriate, or there are an insufficient number of sources cited.
Your APA formatting has a number of significant, persistent errors, or sources were not cited. |