FIN2104 Financial Statement Analysis Assignment Brief | SU

Instructions to Candidates

• There are SIX (6) pages in this Assignment, including the cover page.
• This assignment will contribute 50% (40% written report and 10% oral presentation) to your final grade.
• The assignment must be typewritten on double-line spacing, A4-size paper and single-sided. Work should be presented in a folder, with an SBS assignment cover sheet, which includes all team members' names, course code, tutor's name, and the essay/group report topic. 

Marks will be allocated for content, presentation, and referencing

Important

Extensions and Late Submissions 

The University requires students to adhere to submission deadlines for any form of assessment. Penalties applied for unauthorised late submission of work are as follows: 

• Coursework submitted within one week after the deadline will be accepted for a maximum mark of 40%.
• Any coursework handed in after seven days, without an agreed extension, will be regarded as non-submission and awarded zero.
• Submission of resit coursework must adhere strictly to the deadline. No extension will be given, and late submissions will be awarded zero. 

Subject lecturers are authorised to grant extensions for coursework within their subjects, and agreements will be documented

Financial Statement Analysis - Industry and Firm Levels 

Instructions 

• The assignment aims to foster students' comprehension of financial statement analysis and valuation, as well as to cultivate teamwork, analytical, and communication skills.
• To successfully complete this project, students must assemble a team comprising a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 6 members.
• Each team must select a non-financial industry and obtain approval from the lecturer.
• Each team must select a company (only publicly listed) within the approved industry and analyse the company's financial reports using the FSA tools mentioned below.
• Before beginning the assignment, ensure that you have selected a company for which the required data is available. You can verify data from the company website by downloading financial statements.
• Your report should not be more than 3000 words in length, with a permissible deviation of 10%.
• The lecturer will further elaborate on the details of the nature and requirements of the project early in the semester during tutorials/workshops. 
• Group details, including information about the team leader and team members, will need to be finalised by week 3. 
• Students are required to submit their reports through eLearn using the link provided by the lecturer. Each submission must be made via Turnitin on the eLearn platform. The permitted similarity index is limited to 10%. 

Following is a detailed breakdown of the assignment and oral presentation: 

a)Written Report (40 Marks) 

The written report includes the following analyses of the selected company. The analysis will comprise calculations and a comprehensive discussion. 

I. Introduction of company (10 Marks) 
II.Percentage Change Analysis (recent 5 years) (10 Marks) 
III. Common Size Analysis (recent 1 year) (10 Marks)
IV. Ratio Analysis (recent 1 year) (10 Marks) 

b)Oral presentation (10 Marks) 

The presentation is based on the written report. 

Introduction: Company Overview, SWOT analysis, Corporate Social Responsibility, the company's geographic presence, including its domestic and international operations, if applicable, and Future Outlooketc. Focus primarily on providing suggestions or recommendations based on the information provided, without emphasising content already available on websites or in financial reports. Please ensure that recommendations are marked, comprehensive, and consider the perspectives of investors, managers, lenders, and other relevant stakeholders.

Perform a percentage change: Analyse data from the past five years, focusing on revenues or sales, operating costs, gross profit, current assets & long-term assets, and current liabilities & long-term liabilities. After conducting the analysis, interpret and explain the outcomes, supporting your findings with literature. Focus primarily on providing suggestions or recommendations based on the information provided. Please ensure that recommendations are marked, comprehensive, and consider the perspectives of investors, managers, lenders, and other relevant stakeholders.

Additional information 

You may provide graphs to highlight important trends and patterns to facilitate your discussions. 
Non-financial information should be supported by research and news reports. You may access the Lancaster University Library Website for relevant databases for academic articles: Lancaster University

The format of the assignment: 

• Must be neatly typed using a Word document. 
• Spacing: 1.5
• Font: Arial
• Font size: 12
• Must attach references following the APA referencing format, appendices at your own discretion.
• Cover page must include university name, subject name and code, topic, team members' names and IDs, course and tutorial group number.