AF6004 Accounting and Finance

You are a financial analyst, advising clients on investment decisions. A client is interested in investing £500,000 in your chosen company. The client requires you to produce a detailed report on this company clearly showing your recommendation on whether or not the investment should be made.

You are required to critically analyse and evaluate the financial performance of your company. You should concentrate on the performance over the past two years, but it is expected that you will use up to five years’ performance as background information and to highlight trends.

You need to provide the client with a business report which includes your analysis and evaluation of the critical areas of your company. The report must conclude with your recommendation to the client as to whether or not the investment should be made.

You MUST include a copy of your company’s income statement and balance sheet for the latest year you are analysing as an appendix to the report.

Consider how your company communicates its strategies, performance and corporate policies.

Using corporate impression management theories, critically evaluate the company’s narrative reporting of its performance.

You may choose one part of the annual report, for example the Chairman’s statement, for your evaluation.

You should include relevant extracts from the annual report to support your analysis, and make appropriate references to academic literature.

This assessment will contribute directly to the following Undergraduate programme goals and objectives.

1. Knowledgeable about the theory and practice of international business and management Objectives:

1.Acquire knowledge of functional areas of business and management.

2.Acquire knowledge of specialist areas of business.

3.Apply their knowledge to business and management contexts.

4.Conduct contemporary research into business and management.

2. Skilful in the use of professional and managerial techniques and processes Objectives:

1.Provide evidence of self reflection as a means of informing personal development planning.

2.Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills and the ability to work in a team.

3.Demonstrate critical thinking skills .

4.Demonstrate problem solving skills.

3. Aware of ethical issues impacting on business and professional practice Objectives:

1.Identify an ethical dilemma in a business situation

2.Suggest ethical solutions to this dilemma