FIN-301: PRINCIPLES OF FINANCE
Final Paper
One of the most effective means of
learning is to apply what has been learned. The final project provides you with
the opportunity to use work from previous papers and discussion forums, but you
will also be required to conduct additional research regarding a specific
business and country. You are required to adhere to APA guidelines and to cite
your sources. Do not copy tables or material and present them as your own. A
feature of good academic writing is building on the work of others in
presenting a new approach to a business issue.
Imagine that you have been tasked
by the Director of Finance of your company to perform an analysis of one of
your competitors. Please select a publicly traded company; it can be a
competitor of the company you work for or any publicly traded company you want
to choose. Your assignment is to examine the company on the factors listed
below and provide an evidence-based opinion regarding its financial soundness.
For
this analysis, you will need to investigate the company on the Internet (e.g., www.yahoofinance.com)
and through the NJ State Library, examining the various reports that are
available. Through the NJ State Library, you should search the electronic
databases Mergent Online, Mergent Intellect, and Hoover’s Online. You may find additional
information using their subject guides for business at http://libguides.njstatelib.org/business.
Before accessing the NJ State Library
databases, you will need to apply for a library card, which is free for TESU
students. https://www.njstatelib.org/research_library/get_a_library_card/state_employee_and_tesu_students/
Introduction. Provide a
brief focus statement about your paper and what the reader can expect.
Selection of the company.
Provide a brief profile of the selected company and your rationale for
selecting it.
Short- and long-range
financial problems. From your analysis of research materials, examine
the company and provide a report on the short- and long-range financial
problems that are evident from the review. If you find no short- or
long-range financial problems, provide the evidence to justify this
conclusion.
Optimal capital structure to
manage financial performance. Define capital structure. Provide
examples of the company’s capital structure and its influence, or lack of
influence, on the financial performance of the firm.
Financial statements and
financial decisions. Analyze the firm’s financial statements and the
decisions that appear to have been made to prepare the financial
statement.
Articulate how the cost of
capital is defined and measured. Define the cost of capital and how it
appears to be measured in your selected firm.
Present value. Calculate
present value using applicable present value tables.
Summary. Provide a few
concluding paragraphs about how your chosen company adheres or does not
adhere to sound financial principles.
Guidelines
For this final paper, thoroughly
discuss the topics described above and, when possible, provide specific
examples or recommendations. Your paper should have at least 10 references from
academic books, journal articles, and/or credible online sources.
Your paper should:
●
Be 14 to 20 pages in length.
●
Include a cover sheet and a table of contents.
●
Follow academic research approaches and APA citation format, including
in-text citations and a References list.
●
Be well-developed and convey your understanding of the readings and
concepts.
●
Be organized, coherent, and unified.
●
Be free of spelling, structure, and grammatical errors.
If
you have questions about the requirements of the paper, be sure to discuss them
with your mentor well in advance of the final submission. Consult the Course
Calendar for this paper’s due date. It must be submitted by the last day of the
semester.