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Park University Apple Financial Performance Analysis Paper

 

Course Project Information

For this unit’s Course Project assignment, students should submit their complete project with components from Units 1 through 6 compiled in the same document. In addition, students should refine each unit’s components with grading feedback.

Students are required to select a publicly traded company and prepare a thorough written financial analysis of the company. Students will select a company of their choice to research, evaluate their financial position, understand their future growth opportunities and speak to their overall corporate health.

The analysis should be approximately eight pages long including historical financial documents and a comprehensive evaluation of the company’s performance over the last 3 years as well as insights into the company’s future opportunities.

Company information and financial data can be found using the company’s annual reports (usually found in the “About Us” section of the company’s home website page), SEC filings, Moody’s Investor Service, Yahoo Finance, and other legitimate financial resources.

Refer to Assignments and Grading for grading requirements.

Due date

  • The course project is due on Sunday of Unit 7 by midnight, CST.

Rubric

Unit 7: Course Project Rubric

Course Project

Project Information

For this unit’s Course Project assignment, students should submit their complete project with components from Units 1 through 6 compiled in the same document. In addition, students should refine each unit’s components with grading feedback.

Students are required to select a publicly traded company and prepare a thorough written financial analysis of the company. Students will select a company of their choice to research, evaluate their financial position, understand their future growth opportunities and speak to their overall corporate health.

The analysis should be approximately eight pages long including historical financial documents and a comprehensive evaluation of the company’s performance over the last 3 years as well as insights into the company’s future opportunities.

Company information and financial data can be found using the company’s annual reports (usually found in the “About Us” section of the company’s home website page), SEC filings, Moody’s Investor Service, Yahoo Finance, and other legitimate financial resources.

Due dates

Sections of the Course Project are due on the Sunday of the Unit by midnight, CST.

Company history and background

Unit 2 – Select the company and write up the company introduction/overview

Financial history and analysis

Unit 3 – Locate the needed financial statements

Unit 4 – Financial statement analysis

Unit 5 – Key ratio analysis

Future opportunity assessment

Unit 6 – Future growth opportunities

Proofreading Completion

Units 2 – 7 – Collate sections and make edits based on instructor’s feedback. Submit full paper in Unit 7 with proper formatting.

Requirements and Formatting

Your final paper must include the following

  1. Brief history of the company
    • Length: 2 to 3 paragraphs
    • Content: should include the company’s history and reason(s) for being in existence
  2. Brief description of the company’s industry and the major competitors in that industry
    • Length: 2 to 3 paragraphs
    • Content: should include the company’s key competitors.
  3. Comparison of financial data
    • Length: 2 to 3 pages
    • Content: In this section you will use the company’s key financial statements from the last 3 years, including balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements, to discuss your observation of the company’s financial activity over that three year period.
      • Note changes in the key line items (Assets, Sales, COGS, Profit, etc) and discuss the key drivers (i.e. new customer or product, new investment, etc) of these changes as well as the implications to the company.
      • Activities such as extraordinary gains or losses, stock or bond issuance, retirement of debt, or any other significant changes or trends over that three year period in a particular area should be noted.
      • Your discussion should include observations from the company’s cash flow statements of the cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities to determine the company’s primary sources and uses of cash during each of the three years.
      • Graphs or charts may also be used to support your observations.
      • Statements should be submitted with Course Project paper
  4. Financial analysis of the company
    • Length: 3 to 4 pages
    • In this section you will use balance sheet and income statement information to analyze the company in the areas of profitability, asset utilization, liquidity, and debt utilization.
      • A full ratio analysis must be prepared using at least two ratios from each of these four areas.
      • Your analysis must be over a three year period.
      • In addition to three years of ratios, you must include your observations on the company’s profitability, efficiency in asset utilization, liquidity, and utilization of debt to finance its operations plus any trends your observe (i.e., share key drivers and insights about the positive, neutral or negative impacts from the ratios).
      • Graphs or charts may also be used to support your analysis.
  5. Future opportunity assessment
    • Length: 2 to 3 paragraphs
    • Content: In this section you will discuss future plans the company has to achieve its short and long term goals and objectives and its plans for the future.
      • What are the top growth opportunities the company is focusing on for the next five years?
      • Include a brief overview of the opportunities as well as insights into financing and potential impact to the company.
  6. Recommended decision on future investment:
    • Length: 1 to 2 paragraphs
    • Content: Your report must conclude with your recommendation for or against future investment in the company. You must have a clearly stated rationale for your recommendation drawing from your financial analysis and observations.

Course Project Rubric

Unit 7: Course Project Rubric

Criteria Ratings Pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMade required edits from past submissions

15 pts

All suggested edits were made to the document after considering feedback from past submissions. Edits make sense and integrate well with the flow of the document.

13.35 pts

All suggested edits were made and relatively well integrated into the flow of the document.

11.85 pts

Most of the suggested edits were made but not well integrated into the flow of the document.

10.35 pts

Only some of the suggested edits were made and they were not well integrated into the flow of the document.

8.85 pts

No suggested edits were made to the document. Feedback was not considered.

15 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeProofreading completion

10 pts

Proofreading is evident throughout document. The essay contains minimal errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (0 – 1 per page).

8.9 pts

Proofreading is evident throughout document. The essay contains a few errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (2-3 per page).

7.9 pts

Proofreading is not thorough throughout the document. The essay contains errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (4 – 5 per page).

6.9 pts

Proofreading is not thorough throughout the document. The essay contains errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (6 – 7 per page).

5.9 pts

Proofreading is not thorough throughout the document. The essay contains errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (8+ per page).

10 pts

Unit Criteria Ratings Points
Exceptional Above Expectations Meets Expectations Does Not Meet Expectations Unacceptable

2

Company history and background

Assignment clearly and thoroughly summarized the company’s current industry and history including extensive information on key goods/services, competitors and market evolution.

Max Pts: 35

Assignment clearly and thoroughly summarized the company’s current industry and history but only included limited information on key goods/services, competitors and market evolution.

Max Pts: 31.15

Assignment provided a high-level summary of the company’s current industry and history only with no insight into key goods/services, competitors and market evolution.

Max Pts: 27.65

Assignment provided a high-level summary of the company’s current industry and/or history, but did not provide both. In addition, the assignment conveyed little to no information on the company’s key goods/services, competitors and market evolution.

Max Pts: 24.15

Assignment provided a high-level summary of the company’s current industry and/or history, but did not provide both. The assignment did not convey the company’s key goods/services, competitors and market evolution.

Max Pts: 20.65

35

4

Financial history and analysis

Financial Statement Analysis: Assignment clearly and thoroughly articulates the company’s financial performance over a minimum of 3 years and includes numerous insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 40

Assignment clearly and thoroughly articulates the company’s financial performance over 2-3 years and includes insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 35.64

Assignment provides a high-level summary of the company’s financial performance over 2-3 years and includes limited insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 31.6

Assignment provides a high-level summary of the company’s financial performance over 2-3 years and includes no insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 27.6

Assignment provides a high-level summary of the company’s financial performance over 1-2 years and includes no insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 23.6

40

5

Key Ratio Analysis

Assignment clearly and thoroughly articulates the company’s financial performance over a minimum of 3 years and includes numerous insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 40

Assignment clearly and thoroughly articulates the company’s financial performance over 2-3 years and includes insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 35.64

Assignment provides a high-level summary of the company’s financial performance over 2-3 years and includes limited insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 31.6

Assignment provides a high-level summary of the company’s financial performance over 2-3 years but includes no insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 27.6

Assignment provides a high-level summary of the company’s financial performance over 1-2 years but includes no insights of the impact of key financial statement line items and ratios.

Max Pts: 23.6

40

6

Future opportunity assessment

Assignment provides a specific strategy and recommendation for the company’s future opportunity. The essay discusses the opportunity in detail including the investment, funding and impact to the company. The opportunity is financially and strategically appropriate for the company.

Max Pts: 30

Assignment provides a specific strategy and recommendation for the company’s future opportunity. The essay summarizes the opportunity but provides limited detail on the needed investment, funding and impact. The opportunity is financially and strategically appropriate for the company.

Max Pts: 26.7

Assignment provides a high level strategy and recommendation for the company’s future opportunity. The essay summarizes the opportunity but provides limited detail on the needed investment, funding and impact. The opportunity is financially and strategically appropriate for the company.

Max Pts: 23.7

Assignment provides a high level strategy and recommendation for the company’s future opportunity. The essay summarizes the opportunity but provides no detail on the needed investment, funding and impact. The opportunity is financially and strategically appropriate for the company.

Max Pts: 20.7

Assignment provides a high level strategy and recommendation for the company’s future opportunity. The essay summarizes the opportunity but provides no detail on the needed investment, funding and impact. The opportunity is not financially and strategically appropriate for the company.

Max Pts: 17.7

30

7

Made required edits from past submissions

All suggested edits were made to the document after considering feedback from past submissions. Edits make sense and integrate well with the flow of the document.

Max pts: 15

All suggested edits were made and relatively well integrated into the flow of the document.

Max pts: 13.5

Most of the suggested edits were made but not well integrated into the flow of the document.

Max pts: 11.85

Only some of the suggested edits were made and they were not well integrated into the flow of the document.

Max pts: 10.35

No suggested edits were made to the document. Feedback was not considered.

Max pts: 8.85

15

2

4

5

6

7

Proofreading Completion

Proofreading is evident throughout document. The essay contains minimal errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (0 – 1 per page).

Proofreading is evident throughout document. The essay contains a few errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (2-3 per page).

Proofreading is not thorough throughout the document. The essay contains errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (4 – 5 per page).

Proofreading is not thorough throughout the document. The essay contains errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (6 – 7 per page).

Proofreading is not thorough throughout the document. The essay contains errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar (8+ per page).

10

Total 210

Teacher Feedback

Unit 4

Rubric Requirement: Assignment clearly and thoroughly articulates the company’s financial performance over a minimum of 3 years and includes numerous insights of the impact of key financial statement line items. The essay contains minimal errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Max Pts: 50 Feedback: The assignment did not full the requirements. The analysis and discussion were to be focused on key line items in the 3 key financial statements. Instead, this discussed limited ratios, which is what week 5 is focused on. The assignment contained little to no punctuation and grammar errors.

Unit 5

Rubric Requirement: Assignment clearly and thoroughly articulates the company’s financial performance over a minimum of 3 years and includes numerous insights of the impact of key ratio changes throughout that time. The essay contains minimal errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Max Pts: 50 Feedback: The assignment provided a report of the changes of the key ratios of the project company, but was lacking personal thoughts and opinions of the key drivers and resulting implications. In addition, the assignment contained little to no punctuation and grammar errors.

Unit 6

Rubric Requirement: Assignment provides a specific strategy and recommendation for the company’s future opportunity. The essay discusses the opportunity in detail including the investment, funding and impact to the company. The opportunity is financially and strategically appropriate for the company. The essay contains minimal errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Max Pts: 40 Feedback: The assignment provided limited insight and analysis into a future opportunity of the project company – it only summarized the investment at a high level but did not provide specific costs or cash flows. The assignment contained little to no punctuation and grammar errors.