Apple (corporate finance grad school level)

Description

Case Study Analyses

I know I wrote 7 pages for the instructions, but it could end up being more or less. As long as it is done correctly and as good as possible, at the bottom you will see the minimum is 4-5 pages.

For purposes of this course, the final document you submit will be graded on the following parts with their respective subheadings:

(1) Introduction of case or topic

(2) Facts as presented in the case or topic paraphrased for the report

(3) A summary of the area of Accounting

(4) Your Detailed Discussion of the case or topic(s), including personal conclusion. You must provide sound rationale for your arguments.

Your recommendations should include practical rationale. After all, you are operating in the role of a consultant. Hence, you are interpreting the issue from the perspective of an independent party. Keep in mind that your recommendations may not be viewed as a mere theoretical approach, but must also integrate application.

Template of Assignment Submission (Copy to your composition before you begin writing to remind of the required subheadings and subtopics.

Written paper/case study analysis assignments will be evaluated based on the following scale.

Use of proper APA writing style (This means all submissions must adhere to the required in text citations and a reference list for all submissions: in text citations for the six subtopics in Detailed Discussion are worth 15% including the general conclusion,, Introduction and Accounting Summary are worth 5% and the reference list is worth 5%.

Subheadings (This means that all assignments must have the required subheadings listed 1-5 below starting with the introduction).

25

10

1. Introduction of Topic and Facts as presented in the case (paraphrased). The discussion of the case is grounded in the facts as presented therefore you must
discuss the core of the case with in-text citations.

10

2. A summary of the area(s) of Finance (this area must conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Theories in Financial Management with examples to justify understanding). An accounting and Finance area is your understanding of a description of the topic area and what FASB and Financial Management states as the main points of the topic of accounting.

15

A Detailed Case Discussion.

Essay responses to all titled assigned subtopics in the assignment tab are composed in this section with the respective subtopic. In text citations are required using three current or other sources on the topic must be used in the composition of the five subtopics in this section .

Subtopic 1

Subtopic 2

Subtopic 3

Subtopic 4

4. Personal conclusion to the case.

5. General Conclusion.

Analysis and Audit Plan for a Public Company

For this assignment, you may select any public company that issues stock and is traded on the stock exchange.

The objectives of this project are as follows:

1. To acquaint students with the annual report and Form 10-K of a publicly held company audited by a CPA firm.

2. To provide data for the practical application of certain steps in the financial statement analysis and audit process

Detailed Instructions:

This project should not be viewed as a management or marketing project. Very little time should be allocated to management and marketing.

Obtain a copy of a recent annual report of a publicly held company with stock actively traded on the New York, NASDAQ or other over-the-counter exchanges. Answer the following questions:

a. What is the company’s industry?

b. What are its primary products?

c. What raw materials does the company use?

d. How large is the company:

sales
assets
employees

e. Where is the company located?

f. What other people/companies are closely associated with this company?

g. Look at the annual report (It is different from the 10K and if you cannot find the actual company annual report, you may review another company’s annual report for the general format for comparison with the 10K).

What image does it intend to convey?
What are the segments and functional contents of the report?

3. Obtain a copy of the Company’s 10-K report for the same date as the annual report. Answer the following questions:

a. How does the 10-K differ from the annual report?

b. Supplement the answers to the questions under 2 as appropriate.

4. Obtain outside information about the company and its industry (Some of this information may be available in the Annual Report or the 10K. . Answer the following questions:

a. What are the key economic factors about the industry?

b. Where is the company in its life cycle?

c. What are the five or six most important factors for success in this business?

d. How does this company stand with respect to these factors?

e. Describe four or five key business risks related to the client’s business and industry.

f. What notable accounting considerations are there for companies in this industry?

g. What legal or regulatory matters are of concern?

h. What social matters are of concern?

5. Analyze the company’s financial strength (using various financial ratios discussed in the chapters):

a. Assess the financial strength of the company for a three year period? Period must be consistent (example 2017, 2018, 2019).

b. How is the financial strength likely to change in the next year or so?

c. What are its sources of capital and what is the value of the company’s capital?

d. How have capital markets responded to the company in the last year (stocks, bonds and loan increases over the previous year?

e. What is the quality of earnings ( use a earnings per share computation)?

f. How does the company compare with others in the industry?

6. Prepare additional financial computations:

a. What is the net increase in cash flows for the most recent year?

b. What ratios show increases over the previous year’s?

c. What additional information in your opinion, can you share about the company’s financial situation?

d. If management faced tremendous pressure regarding the entity’s financial performance, what opportunities might exist for them to engage in fraudulent financial reporting?

e. To what extent do you believe it will be appropriate to reduce assessed control risk?

f. How will audit effort be allocated among geographical areas?

g. What form of auditors’ report do you expect will be issued; what does it mean?

Per the syllabus, the acceptable number of pages for weekly research assignments range between four to five full double-spaced pages (six –seven pages for final papers), depending on the content. This does not include cover and reference pages. For all chapter assignments you must incorporate at least three current sources that provide rationale or support for the topic under discussion. Your submission must include a cover page with the name of the course, your name, the instructor’s name, title, and the date.