Overview
For this assignment, assume the role of a newly hired equity analyst in an investment bank. Your boss has asked you to use your financial background to recommend three stocks to company investors. You are to:
- Select three publicly traded companies to research.
- Important: You may not choose Ford Motor Company or Microsoft Corporation.
- Calculate the identified financial ratios for each company.
- Summarize the findings on your selected companies' performance in a 4–5 page report.
Information Gathering
After identifying the three companies you want to research, you will need to obtain financial information on them to calculate the required financial ratios:
Access the
INSTRUCTIONS
Format
- ion for your selected companies if you are more familiar with them. Examples include:Finviz.com - Stock ScreenerLinks to an external site..MarketWatchLinks to an external site..Google FinanceLinks to an external site..InstructionsWrite a 4-5 page report, summarizing the findings of your financial analysis, in which you:Perform the required financial calculations for each of your selected companies correctly:Price-earnings ratio (for earnings per share (EPS), use the diluted EPS total).Operating margin.Net profit margin.Return on equity.Current ratio.Quick ratio.Revenue growth for the past five years.Long-term debt to equity.Analyze each firm's performance against the industry average, considering all critical aspects necessary to assess company performance.Be sure to comment on each firm's strengths and weaknesses.Advise investors whether to buy and hold or sell these stocks based on your companies' current stock prices, products and services, and your well-supported stock valuation experience.Recommend to investors the prices at which they should buy or sell these stocks and provide a rationale for all recommendations.Remember: A buy recommendation means you are expecting prices to rise
- a sell recommendation means you are expecting prices to fall.Determine your first profit target and the recommended risk tolerance level for each stock and provide a rationale for your recommendations.Remember: Your recommended risk tolerance level is the price at which investors should sell the stocks if the market goes against them.Summarize the current market sentiment for your selected stocks along with a five-year outlook, based on accurate data points.Use three sources to support your writing.Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate.Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment.Access the Strayer University Library or review library guides for help with research, writing, and citation.Formatting
INSTRUCTIONS
Format
- ting. Please refer to the Library site for all support. Check with your professor for any additional instructions. Note the following:The preferred method is for your paper to be typed, double-spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.Use headers to highlight each topic (Financial Ratios, Performance Against Industry Average, Buy and Sell or Hold Decision, and so on).Include a cover page containing the assignment title, your name, your professor's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.Include a source list page. Citations and source list entries must follow SWS format. The source list page is not included in the required page length.Learning OutcomesThe specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:Evaluate stocks by computing, comparing and contrasting ratios, and analyzing the performance of the stocks versus the industry averages.View Rubric to an external site. section of the Wall Street Journal