This assignment can help the students apply the theories of corporate finance in the real practices of financial management. It aims to test the following abilities of students:
1. basic understanding and knowledge of finance theory;
2. proficiency and profession in using financial tools and making financial decisions;
Instructions
1. Marks will be allocated equally to each member of the group. Free riders would be reported to me and may be penalised.
2. Assignments must be edited and neatly presented in a professional format. The results or summaries of your calculations and your comments must be shown in the body of the report. The data collected and details of calculations can be shown in appendices to the report. Make your report look professional and reader friendly. The length of the report should not exceed 1500 words (Excluding reference and appendices). Use 12 point font size, 1.5 spaces of lines and standard margins.
3. In doing this assignment, you are encouraged to refer to the texts and any other material that may assist you in understanding what you are doing in this assignment. Ensure that you give adequate cross references to the sources from which you have gathered information in compiling your report.
Background information
You have just been appointed as a financial manager to manage a listed company chosen from Australian Stock Market (Woodside – a mining company in Western Australia). You are asked to prepare a financial report for the chosen company and discuss the investment, financing and dividend options available for the company.
Consistent with the financial management objectives, firstly, you need to pick up one listed company from Australian Stock Exchange. Accordingly, you are required to identify the company’s policies, strategies and specific events about investment, financing and dividends and analyse the risk and expected return. Finally, write a report which includes all the results of your analysis and make appropriate recommendations to the board of directors of the company.
Please bear in mind that you are in a probationary period of one year. If you cannot convince the board of director on your ability, your appointment will be terminated after one year.
Research Project
Section One:
Select a listed company from Australian Stock Market. Identify and discuss the company’s principal financial policies and strategies. [10 marks]
Identify the specific events in the perspective of investment, financing and dividend payout in financial year 2019-2020. Australian financial year is from July 1st to June 30th of next year. [35 marks]
Evaluate the risks faced by the company (for example, systematic risk & unsystematic risk; financial risk, business risk, market risk, interest risk etc.). Provide the comments on the position of the company regarding the current risk and return. [25 marks]
Summarise your calculations, findings and comments and provide suggestions and proposals for the board of directors. Then conclude your report. [20 marks]
