Microsoft Corporation Financial And Ratio Analysis Business Case Study we are as a group decided to write about Microsoft company Your group will pick a pu

Microsoft Corporation Financial And Ratio Analysis Business Case Study we are as a group decided to write about Microsoft company Your group will pick a publicly traded company that is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE), NASDAQ, or the S&P 500. It is required that you pick a company
that is on Fortune’s list of “Top 100 companies to work for”.
Submit your selection to me for approval so we can avoid duplication of companies
wherever possible –so first come, first served as to choices.
Your group will function as an investment advisory firm. Once you have selected your
company and been approved, the group members will begin an in-depth analysis of the
company. The analysis will be comprised of several elements, such as the company’s
most recent financial statements, as well as learning all you can about the company in
terms of products, success within its industry, and any current news that would be
relevant to an investor. In your financial analysis, you should be looking at such things
as revenue, net income, cash, etc. It should include ratio analysis on the financial
statements. See Chapter 13 of your textbook for a list of ratios and be sure to include
several of each category: Liquidity, Profitability, Solvency, and Market Prospects. Also
remember that there is more in-depth coverage of many ratios in the chapters
themselves. Use the Glossary to help you find where a particular ratio has been
discussed in the text.
You will also take into account other factors that would influence your decision whether
or not to recommend purchase of this stock. Some items in this category might include
a new product or service, recent cost cutting moves, or consolidation or merger with
another company. Finding this information will be part of your research for the project.
While conducting your research, you will be tracking the price movement of the stock as
well as other relevant information about the company’s situation so as to better explain
your positions in your final report.
Requirements:
Your group will be required to submit a final report written assessment of the company
you chose must be a minimum of three pages, a maximum of five. All summaries and
written assessments must be type-written using MS Word or comparable software, no
more than double-spaced with margins of no more than one inch. In the final report
assessment, you will support your reasons for either recommending or not
recommending investing in this company by performing financial statement analysis,
ratio analysis, and other contributing market factors as outlined above. The more detail
and depth that you include in your analysis presents, the better. You must provide
documentation of the company’s financial information, i.e. a copy of their most recent
financials (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Statement of Cash Flows) available
in their annual report or their 10K. To find the financial statements of your company, go
to their website, click on Investor Relations (or some other similar link), and download
the most recent Annual Report or 10K.
I expect you to do a good job of explaining your position. It is expected that each group
member will actively participate in the project. I will not tell you how to do the project as
I want you as a group to develop your own best methods. I will act as a resource and a
sounding board for suggestions and ideas.
Project Grading:
Your project will be graded on completeness, correctness, creativity, and the quality of
presentation. In order to ensure that all members of a group participate in the project,
each member will submit a written evaluation of the other members of the group. This
evaluation will factor heavily in the computation of your individual grade.
I suggest exchanging phone numbers and email addresses to assist in this process. I
will be available to answer questions and provide some guidance, but the goal is for you
to use your talents and imagination to figure out the best methods to accomplish the
objectives of this project.
Your project should include, but is not limited to, the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Recent financial statements (see above)
Success in their industry
Current news
Ratio analysis (see Chapter 13)
New products/service, cost cutting moves, consolidation or mergers?
Tracking & analysis of stock price (I suggest using Excel)
Professional appearance (cover sheet, no misspellings/grammatical errors)
Project Timeline:
1. Groups established and project information distributed: Week of October 29th
2. Company picks: Week of November 5th
3. Final written report submitted: December 3rd, 4th, 5th.
Key Resources:
Chapter 13 of your textbook – Financial Statement Analysis
http://finance.yahoo.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
www.fool.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
http://www.sharebuilder.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Group Project Evaluations
Your project will be graded on completeness, correctness, creativity, and the quality of
presentation in your written report. In order to ensure that all members of this group
participate in this project, each member will submit a written evaluation of the other
members in the group. The form is included on the last page of this project
packet. This evaluation will factor heavily in the computation of your individual
grade.
On the evaluation form, you will give your team members one of four ratings: excellent,
good, fair, or poor. If you give a rating of poor, you must provide an explanation: poor
attendance at group meetings, non-completion of assignments, etc.
Be objective in rating the performance of your group members. Members who actively
participate in the process and make a contribution should be given a rating that reflects
this. Others, who have not made the effort, should not be rewarded for their lack of
effort. Working with others to accomplish a goal is part of the educational experience,
particularly for business students. Interdependence allows us to recognize the value of
other people’s talents and skills and how we can use them with our own to create a winwin situation. In this case, it means submitting a project which results in a positive
grade.
Here are some suggestions that I edited from Rachel Mork’s Effective Teamwork in 11
Easy Steps:
1. Share Added Value
Establish a baseline level of respect and admiration within your team. Set up
meetings where the overall purpose of the team is discussed. Focus on what added
value each person brings.
2. Build Respect
Each student share what he/she brings to the team. Everyone share what parts of
the project appeal to their individual strengths. Discuss how the team works well
together, along with what areas could use improvement.
3. Brainstorm Ideas As A Group
Make some time in your meetings for brainstorming. Allow everyone in the group to
contribute ideas for streamlining efficiency, improving the workflow process, or any
other area of concern that might arise.
4. Establish A Neutral Procedure To Deal With Conflict
Make sure you’ve established a clear, safe procedure for conflict resolution and
complaints. Everyone in the group needs to know that dissatisfaction will be
addressed and problems solved to the best of your team’s ability.
5. Schedule Progress Meetings
Don’t let too much time pass as the project progresses. Make sure you hold
meetings where concerns and developments can be discussed as a group, allowing
all voices to be heard. The point of these meetings should be to deal with conflict,
smooth out bumps in the process, and allow team members to voice concerns.

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