Company Project
Purpose: The goal of the company project is for students to learn how to apply the theoretical concepts presented in class to analysis of a publicly-traded company. Each student will complete an in-depth examination of a companyâs governance, operations, financing and strategy.
Data: Students will be responsible for gathering the data for their company from a variety of sources including Yahoo! Finance, SEC filings and other internet sites. Students should use the most recent data available.
Content: Topics that will be included in the report will be assigned on a week-by-week basis and follow the theoretical discussions in class. Students should work on the project as assigned in order to keep from falling behind schedule. Students may wish to include certain additional topics, beyond those assigned, to enhance their reports.
Perspective: Students should assume they are taking the role of a consultant in completing their company project. Therefore, the final work product should be a formal report expected to be read by a client who has requested an outside assessment of the firmâs management practices.
Format: The report should include ten chapters. Chapter 1 is a brief introduction of the company, which includes information on the background of the companyâs lines of business and the exchange on which the company is traded. Chapters 2-9 will contain analyses of the companyâs management practices based on applications of the eight topics listed in the Tentative Class Schedule (i.e., the eight chapters of the text that will be covered in class). Chapter 2 will analyze corporate governance, Chapter 3 will examine the firmâs policies relating to dividends and stock repurchases, etc. Chapter 10 will present a summary of and conclusions from the analysis.
Length: There is no prescribed length for the report. As it is a consultantâs report, it should be as long as necessary to provide the client with useful, actionable results with respect to the topics covered.
Chapter 13 and 14
Corporate governance
Dividends and stock repurchases
Dividends and stock Chapter 14
repurchases (cont.)
Capital structure Chapter 15
Working capital management Chapter 16
Leasing and hybrid securities Chapters 19 and 20
Mergers Chapter 22
Bankruptcy, reorganization and Chapter 24
liquidation
