2023 BUS 401 Principles of Finance Complete Course The Role of Financial Management in a Firm | Assignments Online

BUS 401 (Principles of Finance) Complete Course 

 

The Role of Financial Management in a Firm. Summarize the role of management as it relates to finance in a corporation. In your post, address the following:

§ Indicate the various aspects of finance that management must understand.

§ Describe why a manager needs to understand the characteristics and importance of financial markets including risk and efficiency.

§ Describe why cash flow is more important than sales in a business.

§ Discuss what could happen if management does not fulfill responsibilities related to finance. If you have one, share a real world example from your own professional experience or from an external source.

Your post should be 200-250 words in length.

Financial Statements. View the Important Financial Documents video which looks at the fundamental financial documents every company needs; including the balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flow. In your post, choose one of the financial statements and explain how a manager would use the statement to drive financial analysis and decision-making. Your post should be 200-250 words in length

Financial Management Challenges and Ethics. Find at least two articles from the ProQuest database that highlight and discuss two of the biggest challenges facing financial managers today. One of the articles should be about the challenge of maintaining ethical financial integrity. The other article can be on any other challenge that a financial manager may face (e.g., competition, foreign markets, government intervention, etc.).

Summarize your findings from the articles in a two- to three-page paper excluding title page and references page(s). The paper should be formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Be sure to properly cite your sources using APA style.

Dreams Do Come True. Imagine that you have decided you need a new car, but not any car will do; you have decided to purchase the car of your dreams. Conduct some research as to the cost of this car. You have determined in this imagined scenario that you could afford to make a 10% down payment. You can borrow the balance either from your local bank using a four-year loan or from the dealership’s finance company. If you purchase from your dealership’s finance company, the APR will be 10% with your 10% down and monthly payments over three years. However, the dealership will give you a rebate of 5% of the car price after the three year term is complete. You want the best deal possible, so you consider the following questions:

§ What type of car have you selected, and what will it cost?

§ What is the interest rate from your local bank for a car loan for four years?

§ What will your payment be to your local bank, assuming your 10% down payment? Be sure to use the formula provided in Chapter 4 and show your work. How much will that car have cost in four years?

§ What will your payment be to the dealership finance company assuming your 10% down payment? Be sure to use the formula provided in Chapter 4 and show your work. How much will that car have cost in 3 years?

§ Which is the better deal and why?

Investing in Bonds. Go to the Yahoo Finance Bonds Center.

Under: Features / BOND LOOKUP / Find Bonds by Name:

Type in the first letter of your last name.

Under “Type” Choose one of the “Corp” Bonds.

Assume interest rates for bonds today is 5% for an AAA rated bond. Calculate the price of the bond you have selected relative to the 5%. Is the bond selling at a premium or a discount? Why? Be sure to show how you arrived at your answer. What other factors may influence the value of a bond?

Present and Future Values, and Expected Returns. We examined two important topics in finance this week: (a) present and future values and (b) security valuation.

Critically reflect on the importance of present and future values. What factors must be considered when calculating present and future values? What other qualitative factors play into present and future value decisions? Perhaps you have opportunities in your professional life to use present and future values. What are some real or potential applications of these concepts?

We also looked at expected returns. Why do bond values go down when interest rates go up? Is this true in the opposite direction?

Teaching Net Present Value (NPV) & Future Value (FV). Assignment Instructions: You have been asked by a manager in your organization to put together a training program explaining Net Present Value (NPV) and Future Value (FV) and how they are used to evaluate the price of stock.

Upon completing your Net Present Value (NPV) & Future Value (FV) Training Program, employees should be able to:

Explain NPV and FV.

Describe the factors that are used in the NPV and the FV formulas.

Give an example of how to use the formulas for NPV and FV for a stock purchase.

Summarize the differences between the two formulas and the purpose of using each.

Develop a PowerPoint presentation that is 10 to 12 slides long (excluding title and reference slides) and covers each of the above topics. In the slide notes, include your explanations for each topic. If you need assistance, please refer to the Notes pane in PowerPoint 2010 article. Format the presentation according to APA style guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Be sure to properly cite your sources using APA style.

Cash Flows From Working. It may surprise you that there are cash flows associated with holding a job. Using the examples provided in Chapter 6, construct a simple cash flow statement and payback calculation for when your job expenses will be covered for employment you currently have or have had in the past. Include the following in your cash flow statement:

Expenses associated with working

Any initial investments

Taxes

Capital Budgeting. View the Capital Budgeting video, which provides some factors that should be considered in capital budgeting considerations.

Imagine the producers of this video ask you to appear in the video to offer two additional considerations in capital budgeting decisions. One consideration must be quantitative (numeric). The other must be qualitative (non-numeric). Write a script to describe capital budgeting considerations that you think are important for managers to consider. Your script should be 200 to 250 words.

Return on Investment: Education Funding. Develop a three- to four-page analysis, excluding the title page and reference page(s), on the projected return on investment for your college education and projected future employment. This analysis will consist of two parts.

First, explain how you made the decision to pursue a degree in Business or Finance. In your explanation, include a summary of expenses related to that decision. Also, include things like cost of tuition, cost of books, and the interest that you may pay on any loans.

Next, conduct research on your desired occupation and identify how much compensation (return) you expect to earn. How long will it take to pay back the return on this investment? Be sure to consider the trade-off between the cost of education and the expected return on investment.

Interviewing Peter Lynch. Review the “Minimizing Risk” video segment, which is available through your online course.

In the video segment, you will watch an interview with two great investors of the twentieth century. Imagine you are Harry Reasoner, and you are allowed to ask Peter Lynch one question about market risk, discount rates, or the weighted average cost of capital (WACC). What question would you ask? Why do you feel that is an important question?

Cost of Capital. Corporations often use different costs of capital for different operating divisions. Using an example, calculate the weighted cost of capital (WACC). What are some potential issues in using varying techniques for cost of capital for different divisions? If the overall company weighted average cost of capital (WACC) were used as the hurdle rate for all divisions, would more conservative or riskier divisions get a greater share of capital? Explain your reasoning. What are two techniques that you could use to develop a rough estimate for each division’s cost of capital? Your initial response should be 200 to 250 words

Ratio Analysis. Using the Ashford University Library as a resource, find two articles that discuss financial ratio analysis. Identify two advantages and two disadvantages to using ratios in financial analysis. Be sure to cite your sources using APA format as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Applying Ratios to a Business. Access the Evaluating Business Performance: Small Business Case Studies video in your online course.

The video focuses on profitability, liquidity, efficiency, and stability of business. Given what you have learned about ratio analysis, choose one of the businesses from the video (Rose Chong Costumes, Anro’s Floor Maintenance, or John Osborne’s Gym and Squash Center) and identify two ratios that would be helpful for the owner of the business to monitor. Be sure to explain what the ratio would tell the owner, and how it can be improved for the business.

Focus of the Final Paper

Evaluation of Corporate Performance

For the Final Paper, you will apply the concepts learned in class to an analysis of a company using data from its annual report. Using the concepts from this course, you will analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the company. You will then write a report either recommending or not recommending purchase of the company stock.

Research Tip: The Mergent database in the Ashford University Library contains company profiles and financial information for publicly traded companies and their competitors. To access this database, enter the Ashford University Library by clicking the “Library” link on the left navigation bar in your online course. Once you are in the Library, select “Find Articles and More” in the top menu panel. Next, select “Databases A-Z” and go to section M to access the Mergent database. For help with using Mergent, use “Mergent Online Quick Tips.”

For help with reading an annual report access this handy guide from Money Chimp.

The completed report should include:

a. An introduction to the company, including background information.

b. A complete and thorough financial statement review.

c. Pro Forma financial statements (balance sheet and income statement) for the next fiscal year, assuming a 10% growth rate in sales and cost of goods sold (COGS) for the next year.

d. Complete ratio analysis for the last fiscal year using at least two ratios from each of the following categories:

Liquidity

Financial leverage

Asset management

Profitability

Market value

e. Calculate return on equity (ROE) using the DuPont system.

f. Calculate economic value added.

g. A synopsis of your findings, including your recommendations and rationale for whether or not to purchase stock from this company.

This report should be eight to ten pages long excluding title page and reference page(s). Use APA 6th edition formatting guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. Support your findings and recommendations with evidence from at least five scholarly resources; such as the textbook, industry reports, and articles from the Ashford University Library.