OBJECTIVE The specific objective of this graded written research exercise is to prepare an "executive level financial report" to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a mythical company in which you are employed as a financial analyst.  This report will pertain to the financial evaluation of a real, publicly-traded, company. It will require independent research (web-based or library), careful financial analysis, and the proper application of key financial theories and formulas. · identification of the company by ticker symbol and name · a reasonable and appropriate explanation of why you want to examine the alternative company · the source of the analyst's report that will be used in the analysis (which must be submitted to me) · acknowledgement by you that all of the specific elements of the assignment (see below) will be prepared by you and included in the final research project report SITUATION You are a financial analyst with the mythical High Technology Corporation ("HTC"). HTC is an established manufacturer of a line of electronic components, which services an international market. HTC is currently a new fully-integrated wireless communication service for world-wide use.  A competitive technical and economic product evaluation has determined that THE COMPANY THAT IS TO BE ANALYZED FOR THIS PROJECT) (a real publicly-traded company) is the best potential candidate for a long-term commitment.  THE COMPANY is offering a competitively favorable deal.  However, based on some serious general concerns about the fallout of companies in the industry in general, the CEO has asked your CFO to conduct a financial analysis of THE COMPANY to determine if it is prudent to commit to this company's communication system.  The cost of cutting over to the new communications system is significant and any interruption in support during the next few years would adversely affect HTC's performance and profit. Specifically, the primary question is: will THE COMPANY be financially viable over the next two to three years? YOUR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT     Your specific assignment is to research, analyze, and prepare a report for the CFO on the actual financial performance of THE COMPANY THAT IS TO BE ANALYZED FOR THIS PROJECT. In addition to reviewing the traditional financial performance indicators, you are also to review THE COMPANY’S past and current stock performance. Your report includes three parts: (1)        An evaluation of THE COMPANY’S financial performance for the last three years. (See detailed description below)  (2)        An evaluation of THE COMPANY’S stock performance for the last one year. (See detailed description below)  (3)        Finally, a specific recommendation, with supporting rationale, as to whether or not THE COMPANY’S recent trend in financial and stock performance is of sufficient financial strength to warrant entering into a long-term commitment. To assist you in your task, the CFO has provided the following general guidance. Since it.

1. OBJECTIVE
The specific objective of this graded written research exercise is
to prepare an "executive level financial report" to the Chief
Financial Officer (CFO) of a mythical company in which you
are employed as a financial analyst. This report will pertain to
the financial evaluation of a real, publicly-traded, company. It
will require independent research (web-based or library),
careful financial analysis, and the proper application of key
financial theories and formulas.
·
identification of the company by ticker symbol and name
·
a reasonable and appropriate explanation of why you want to
examine the alternative company
·
the source of the analyst's report that will be used in the
analysis (which must be submitted to me)
·
acknowledgement by you that all of the specific elements of the
assignment (see below) will be prepared by you and included in
the final research project report
SITUATION
You are a financial analyst with the mythical High Technology
Corporation ("HTC"). HTC is an established manufacturer of a
line of electronic components, which services an international
market. HTC is currently a new fully-integrated wireless
communication service for world-wide use. A competitive
technical and economic product evaluation has determined that
THE COMPANY THAT IS TO BE ANALYZED FOR THIS
PROJECT) (a real publicly-traded company) is the best
potential candidate for a long-term commitment.

2. THE COMPANY is offering a competitively favorable deal.
However, based on some serious general concerns about the
fallout of companies in the industry in general, the CEO has
asked your CFO to conduct a financial analysis of THE
COMPANY to determine if it is prudent to commit to this
company's communication system. The cost of cutting over to
the new communications system is significant and any
interruption in support during the next few years would
adversely affect HTC's performance and profit.
Specifically, the primary question is: will THE COMPANY be
financially viable over the next two to three years?
YOUR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT
Your specific assignment is to research, analyze, and prepare a
report for the CFO on the actual financial performance of THE
COMPANY THAT IS TO BE ANALYZED FOR THIS
PROJECT. In addition to reviewing the traditional financial
performance indicators, you are also to review THE
COMPANY’S past and current stock performance. Your report
includes three parts:
(1) An evaluation of THE COMPANY’S financial
performance for the last three years. (See detailed description
below)
(2) An evaluation of THE COMPANY’S stock performance
for the last one year. (See detailed description below)
(3) Finally, a specific recommendation, with supporting
rationale, as to whether or not THE COMPANY’S recent trend
in financial and stock performance is of sufficient financial
strength to warrant entering into a long-term commitment.
To assist you in your task, the CFO has provided the following
general guidance. Since it is recognized that the industry is
undergoing a major contraction, it is very important to
comparatively evaluate THE COMPANY’S financial and stock
performance trends against its Industry or major competitor.
SUGGESTED WEBSITES
www.marketwatch.com
-To find the information for your company you need to type

3. the stock symbol in the
Search
window to get into the company’s page.
www.morningstar.com
- To find the information for your company you need to type the
stock symbol in the
Quotes
window to get into the company’s page.
www.money.cnn.com
-To find the information for your company you need to type
the stock symbol in the
Search
window to get into the company’s page.
www.finance.yahoo.com
- To find the information for your company you need to type the
stock symbol in the
Search
window to get into the company’s page.
www.nyse.com
– Click on Data, then click on Stocks (under Quotes), and type
the name of the company or the stock symbol in the window
“Keyword or symbol” to get into the company’s page.
www.nasdaq.com
- To find the information for your company you need to type the

4. stock symbol in the
Search
window to get into the company’s page.
Company’s websites
YOUR SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT
Using the information from the websites the students have to
develop evaluation of the financial and stock performance for
THE COMPANY. (Totally 85% of the assignment grade)
-1—Background and Industry (one
short
paragraph).
-2—
Analysis of the most significant financial performance results.
(15% of the project grade)
a.
Select of most significant financial performance results for the
company. Create a table that contains the THE COMPANY’S
financial performance results
for the last three years
and for the major competitor or industry for the last year:
Revenue, net income, working capital, and other financial
performance results of your choice. Present the table with this
information in your report.
b.
Write about 1 page of the trend analysis of these financial
performance results.
-3— Financial ratio analysis. (15% of the project grade)

5. Find financial ratios for the company for the last 1-3 years and
its major competitor for the last year in the Internet.
a.
Present the ratios as the table(s) in your project.
b.
Write about 2 pages of analysis of the ratio results that you
found. Compare the ratio results against the industry or main
competitor. In your analysis you should answer the following
questions:
·
How liquid is the company?
·
How is the company financing its assets?
·
Is management generating a substantial profit on the company’s
assets?
-4-
Evaluate Return on Equity for the company for the last three
years using the DuPont analysis
.
(10% of the project grade)
a.
Taking the information from the Income statements and the
Balance sheets, calculate the company’s net profit margin, total
assets turnover equity multiplier, and return on equity using the
DuPont formula for the company for three years.
Show your calculation!

6. ROE = Net profit margin x Total assets turnover x Equity
multiplier
= Net income/Sales x Sales/Total assets x Total
assets/Common equity
You can use Revenue instead of Sales.
b. Compare the results to main competitor. For the major
competitor you can use ratios from the Internet or calculate
them for the last year.
Write about 1 page of analysis of the results that you received.
In your report please answer the question: If the management of
the company would like to improve their return on equity, what
should the management of these companies do?
-5- Evaluate other areas of financial analysis: capital spending,
Beta values, credit rating service valuations (if possible), bond
rating valuations (if possible), etc. (10% of the project grade)
1) Find the data for capital spending. How much did THE
COMPANY spend on research, development, and engineering in
the most recent year? How did this compare with the previous
year?
2) Find the current beta for the company and its major
competitor in the Internet.
a.
Present beta results as the table in your project.
b.
Write about 0.5 page of analysis of beta values that you found.
Compare the beta values against the main competitor. In your
report please answer the question: How risky the company is?
-6- Collect and evaluate the data about stock performance of the
assigned company's for the last one year. (20% of the project
grade).
1) Find the market ratios for the company for the last 1-3 years
and its major competitor for the last year in the Internet.
a.

7. Present the
market
ratios as the table(s) in your project.
b.
Write about 1 page of analysis of the market ratio results that
you found. Compare the market ratio results against the industry
or main competitor. In your report please answer the question:
Are the common stockholders receiving an adequate return on
their investment?
-2) Analysis of the historical stock prices trend for the last year.
a.
Collect and evaluate the data about stock prices of the assigned
company's for the last one year for the company and its major
competitor.
b.
Create the chart(s) using the stock price chart tools on the
websites or Excel. Present the chart(s) in your project.
c.
Write about 0.5 page of analysis the historic stock prices trend
for the last year.
3) Apply the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) Security
Market Line to estimate the required return on THE COMPANY
stock. Note that you will need the risk-free rate and the market
return. Show this information in your project.
a.
To get the current yield on 10-year Treasury securities go to
Finance!Yahoo’s at www.finance.yahoo.com -click on Market

8. Data - Bonds. You will use the current yield on 10-year
Treasury securities as the risk-free rate to estimate the required
rate of return on stocks. Show this information in your project.
b.
To get the market return go to
money.cnn.com
, Click on Market, then click on S&P 500.You will use 52-
weeks change for S&P500 listed as “Year-to-Date” percentage
change. Show this information in your project.
c.
Calculate the required return on THE COMPANY stock using
the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) Security Market Line.
Please show your work.
d.
Find on the Internet the 52-weeks change of the stock price.
Compare the required return on the stock calculated using
CAPM against it's historical return over the last 52 weeks,
found on the Internet. Is there a difference between these
returns? Is THE COMPANY’S stock overvalued, undervalued,
or properly valued? Why? Explain your answer.
-
7- Develop a specific recommendation, with supporting
rationale
, as to whether or not the assigned company's recent trend in
financial and stock performance is of sufficient financial
strength to warrant entering into a long-term commitment (about
1 page) (15% of the project grade).