C31FN, Financial Analysis, Coursework

Heriot-Wa: University
Edinburgh Business School
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS (C31FN1)
2020-21

COURSEWORK

Group Project Assignment (50% of total assessment for the module)

The purpose of the assignment is to involve you as an analyst in an investment decision-making

situaWon, based on real informaWon and actual companies.

You are employed as an investment analyst by a UK-based pension fund. The Wme is September
2020 and you are assigned the task of assessing the financial performance and posiWon of a non-
financial FTSE 100 company. You are required to dra[ a report for submission to Lorna Campbell, a
reWred professor of chemistry. Subject to the recommendaWon of your report, Lorna will invest
£100,000 in ordinary shares of the Company on 1st December 2020.

Requirement
In teams of 3/4 members, dra[ a report to advise Lorna Campbell on the potenWal investment.
The report is in the form of a detailed analysis of the financial performance and status of the
company that incorporates the following:

(1) Carry out a financial analysis of the company. The financial analysis should include the
following four areas: (a) investor returns, (b) performance, (c) liquidity and working capital
management, (4) gearing.
(60% of weighWng)

(2) Analyse the prospects of the company and comment on the valuaWon of the company by the
market.
(30% of weighWng)

(3) CriWcally appraise the informaWon used and highlight the limitaWons in your analysis.
(10% of weighWng)

WORD LENGTH 2,000 - 2,500 WORDS (include tables)

Other informaWon

1) The chosen company must have published an annual report with year ended on or aGer 30
September 2019.

2) It is for you to decide what informaWon is relevant and what to include in your report.

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C31FN, Financial Analysis, Coursework

3) You should uWlize a variety of available sources (newspapers, books, journals etc) and make
reference to them. You should apply appropriate accounWng techniques and draw succinct
and clear conclusions.

4) You will also need to put your learning from other course modules and your business
awareness into use here.

5) Although you are encouraged to obtain data from financial databases, you should not use
analysts’ reports that you can find online. Their raWos will inevitably differ from yours, and
are not to be relied upon. If you use financial data from databases, make sure that you
understand the underlying meaning of the data. You should provide defini;ons of financial
ra;os used. You also need to show your workings.

6) References are not included in the word limit. Appendices should add no more than a
further three pages.

7) This is a piece of independent group work. You should not discuss your analysis and findings
with other groups.

Guidelines on report wriWng:

1) A report should start with a contents page
2) A report should be wri:en in short sentences.
3) Where appropriate, present informaWon, comments or conclusions in bullet point form.
4) If you wish to use charts and tables in the main body of a report keep them simple.
5) Complex charts and tables should be included as an appendix.
6) The report should be divided into short secWons. Each secWon of a report should have a clear
heading
7) Consider the use of subheadings for longer secWons of a report.
8) All pages, tables and appendices should be numbered
9) State the word count. Marks will be deducted if you exceed the limit.

Deadline for Submission

Your coursework must be submi:ed to the TurniWn by 4pm on Monday 2nd November 2020.

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C31FN, Financial Analysis, Coursework

When you submit your coursework, please:

Provide a “Group Coursework Submission Form”. EACH MEMBER must sign on the form.

The form is available on VISION (Coursework secWon)

LATE SUBMISSION

• You should submit to the School Office a completed Late Coursework Submission Form together
with any medical cerWficates or supporWng documentaWon. Students should retain the receipt
and a copy of their coursework and supporWng documentaWon.
• Coursework submi:ed a[er the due date for submission but prior to the date set for return of
the coursework will be marked. However, it will be subject to an automaWc penalty deducWon of
30% of the awarded mark. All Late Coursework Submission Forms will be reviewed at the
appropriate Board of Examiners along with any medical cerWficates and supporWng
documentaWon. The Board will have discreWon to reinstate the full mark or reduce the penalty in
the light of circumstances. The Board has absolute discreWon in this ma:er and prior opinions
will not be available from me in any circumstances.
• Coursework not submi:ed by the date set for the return of marked coursework will not be
marked.
• Non-submission of coursework must also be inWmated to the School Coursework Office.
Students will be asked to complete a form and supply any medical cerWficates or supporWng
documentaWon for non-submission.

Please Note:
The Board of Examiners has absolute discreWon in the ma:er of whether or not to reinstate the full
mark or reduce the penalty in the light of circumstances. An individual lecturer is not in a posiWon
to offer any prior opinion as to the likely decision of the Board. Therefore please do not come and
ask me whether or not your reason for late submission is likely to be accepted because I will be
unable to comment.

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