Each student will be required to conduct a strategic analysis of a publicly-traded company and submit a written report of that company. The goal of the strategic analysis report is to help you hone your research and analytical skills. Once you have gathered a significant body of data, you will be able to apply Porter’s Forces framework you have learned and form an opinion about the companys performance and its sustainability based on the evidence you found. After you have researched the company and formed opinions on its future success, you should provide recommendations as to its viability as a potential investment or employer to a close friend? Grading on this component will be approximately distributed as 50% for the depth and comprehensiveness of the research you conducted, and 50% for the quality of your analyses and recommendations. While the key question you need to answer is: Would you recommend the company as an investment, or even employer, to a close friend, you need to do more than just state your opinion. Once you have gathered a meaningful amount of information and data about the company you have selected, you will be able to apply Porter’s Forces framework you have learned, and form an opinion about the companys performance and its sustainability based on the evidence you found. The Industry Analysis and Competitive Advantage readings include detail on Porter’s framework that you can use to analyze the company. An acceptable analysis will incorporate several (5-10) business articles (WSJ, Bloomberg Businessweek, Forbes, Fortune, etc.), as well as the companys financial statements, and research on its competitors. The UWM library along with local libraries provide access, including online, to a range of business newspapers and periodicals. Please note: press releases and general earnings announcements are not considered a good source for your research. Financial statements (10-K or 10-Q) for publicly traded companies are available on: (Links to an external site.). Make sure to include data and information from the most recent annual and quarterly reports of the company, as well as some recent business articles. If you are analyzing a private company, please make sure you can access key financial information for your analysis. Your analysis and recommendations should not exceed 5 pages; however, there is no limit on the appendices you use to support your analyses and recommendations (. charts, figures, tables, graphs, etc). Please base your recommendations on factual information, and include all data, tables, and figures that you used when analyzing the company. Examples (this does not mean you need to have all the items in the list below) of information that could facilitate your analysis of the company and provide factual support for your recommendations: Firm performance – . earnings, sales, ROA, ROE, P/E, stock price (feel free to add to these) – remember to investigate firm performance both across time (try to discern a trend) and relative to its competitors (see how well the firm does relative to its rivals) Market share Vision & mission Five forces analysis Competitive analysis Information about competitive moves Business Strategy Most important corporate divisions (industries in which the company operates) Which corporate divisions generate the most revenues/profits for the firm? International operations, International Strategy Which are the most important domestic/international markets for the firm? Employee ratings (. Glassdoor, etc.) Remember that this assignment is a combination of facts and data along with your analysis and opinion about the company. Providing an opinion without supporting facts, data and analysis is not sufficient. It would also be incomplete if you provide facts, data, and analysis without stating your opinion about the company.Show more
