UWBS038g Assessment Briefing for Students

Academic Year 2013/14

Module Code: 7AC002 Module Title: Accounting and Financial Management

Block 2

Subject Area: Accounting Module Leader: Mark Price

Other (please state): none

Assessment Brief: 100% of overall assessment on module

Hand Out Date 21st January 2014 Hand In Date 2nd April 2014

Preferred Hand In Location: MX Building

Departmental Administrator: Satvinder Sehmbey Room No.: MN018 Telephone 01902 32

Re-sit Details: ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Assessment Title: Company Analysis Weighting 100%

Notes on requirement to pass Minimum 50%

Mode of Working Individual

Presentation Format Individual report

Length of Assessment 6,000 words

Detail of tutorial Inputs There will be student briefings about the coursework throughout the module

Assignment Brief/Task You are to select a PLC that has a listing on a recognised stock exchange of your choice and agree this with the module tutor.

The company is seeking to raise 10% of its Net Assets Employed and as an investment analyst you have been asked to produce part of an overall assessment of whether it would be a good investment. You have been asked to produce a Financial Analysis of the company based

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Authorised: DoSOwner: DoSSQC: July 2005Revision: 1Ref: UWBS038g

upon the following ratios for the company for the years 2012, 2007 and 2002;-

Return on Capital EmployedAsset TurnoverOperating Profit MarginGross Profit MarginReturn on EquityGearingInterest CoverPE Ratio

(you will need to show all relevant workings and supporting documentation). Your analysis will be based upon the ratios calculated but is also is to include an analysis of the company’s industry and a comparison of company performance with industry averages for the same years. The second part of your report is to analyse whether it would be better to purchase ordinary shares or debentures in this company, based upon the company performance and capital structure.

Learning Outcomes Tested LO1: Analyse and interpret financial statements from the perspectives of different stakeholdersLO2: Critically analyse the role and function of financial information in the management of a businessLO3: Critically analyse the issues and debates concerning the financing and investment decisions of firms

Assessment Criteria The proportions of the assignment should be1. An analysis of the industry of which the company is a part (15%)2. Comparison of company performance with industry based upon ratios

calculated (50%)3. Analysis of the two sources of finance and how it might apply to the

chosen company (25%)4. Summary and choice of financing (10%)

The grading of the assignment will be based upon the following

Warning

Collusion and plagiarism are both very serious offences that can result in a student being expelled from the University. Those found guilty of cheating in this way steal someone else’s ideas or words and try to deceive the reader into believing it is their own work.

To avoid collusion always work on your own in order to complete your individual assessments. Do not let fellow students have access to your work before it is submitted and do not be tempted to access the work of others. Refer to your module tutor if you do not understand or you need further guidance. You must use available and relevant literature to demonstrate your knowledge of a subject, however to avoid plagiarism you must take great care to acknowledge it properly. You should therefore always use of the Harvard style referencing system in all cases. (See <http://www.wlv.ac.uk/lib/Tipsheets/Harvard2005N.doc>)

Self Assessment Briefing Checklist for Students. Detail of issues for the student self-review before submission.

A. General: (Completeness, word length, special requirements, etc)

Construction: Structure, introduction, conclusion, visual presentation, etc. Have you provided an introduction for each item?

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Have you concluded by summarising your argument at the end of each item? Is the work well presented visually in terms of layout, fonts, and spacing, etc?

Intellectual Argument: (Evidence used, clarity and structure of argument, etc.) Intellectual argument Have you supported your statements with appropriate "evidence"? Is the argument clear and structured?

Source Materials: (Please refer to guidance you have received in Module Guide and Induction. Proper acknowledgment, correct identification of authors, etc, complete references or bibliography, use of Harvard system standards)

Are the materials you have used properly acknowledged in your work? Does the main body of your work correctly identify authors and other detail (dates and where appropriate page references) as specified in the Harvard system standards?

Can all your references be traced to your bibliography? Has the bibliography been prepared to Harvard system standards?

B. Overall Review: (Re-read, assess impact, etc.)Self-assessment briefing checklist: worked example

Re-read the assignment brief. Have you answered the brief set? Have you addressed every aspect of it?

Refer to the previously issued grade descriptors and decide (realistically) the grade you want to achieve. (Honestly now) do the descriptions associated with that grade correspond with your work? If not what adjustments do you need to make?

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