Instructions: o Pick a public company listed on NYSE or NASDAQ. The stock should

Instructions:
o Pick a public company listed on NYSE or NASDAQ. The stock should have a closing price
above $20 from the past year.
▪ The company should be a product-based company.
▪ NO bank or other financial institutions.
▪ Use the S&P NetAdvantage database from the library.
• Data collection procedure
o apps.barry.edu –> Log-in with your student credentials –> Library –>
Database by titles –> S&P Global NetAdvantage –>
o Input the symbol of your company –> go –> to the company page.
o See the attached data collection guide.
o On the company page in NetAdvange
▪ download and study the Tear sheet
▪ study the recent investment research
▪ study the recent equity research
• Write
o Descriiption of the company and industry background
o A brief analysis of Strength / Weakness / Opportunities / Threats.
▪ besides NetAdvantage, you can use other sources for study.
o Organize and review the financial ratio in the following categories. For each category,
pick 2~3 ratios and describe how the ratios have changed over the last couple of years.
Explain why there were such changes.
▪ From key stats
• Key financials
• Current capitalization
• Valuation multiples based on current capitalization.
▪ From ratios
• Profitability
• Turnover (management efficiency)
• Short-term liquidity
• Long-term Solvency
• Growth
• Include any statistics you find interesting.
o Review at least one major financial decision in each of the three areas of investment,
financing (debt and equity financing, dividend, etc.), and operation (working capital
management) by the company. It is important to support your analysis with detailed
financial data and analysis.
▪ Based on the above ratio analysis, explain
• Why are the decisions above necessary to improve financial
performance?
o For example, introducing a new product to raise the profit
margin and profit.
o For example, a new CEO implemented a cost-cutting decision,
which increases the net profit margin and improves the financial
profile.
• Or how do the changes in financial ratios reflect the effectiveness of the
previous financial decision?
o For example, a new marketing strategy improved sales and
increases asset turnover ratios.
• Support your discussion with a detailed financial analysis.
o Tables and charts will help.
o Comment on the investment value of the stock. In particular, shall we invest in the stock?
For submission,
1. Organize your data and analysis into a research paper. To help the reader, you need to include the
data table in your analysis.
a. Use tables and charts in the paper.
b. Don’t send data in a separate file.
2. The paper should include
a. company background and industry analysis.
b. ratio analysis of the above different categories.
c. discussion of company financial decisions.
d. comment on the investment value
3. The written paper is to be typed double–spaced, 1’ margins, Times New Roman and 12-point font,
with correct spelling and grammar, proper citation, references, with a cover page and organized
with headings.
4. There are no strict rules on the length. Usually, the paper will cover 5-10 pages.