The assignment considers an analysis of Britvic plc versus AG Barr plc. You are required to submit 2 reports: Case A examining the performance and sustainability of both companies AND Case B dealing with risk and return on equity of both companies.
Case A carries 60% of the marks for the assignment and Case B carries 40% of marks for the assignment.
There is an absolute word limit of 3,500 words (excluding appendices) overall. We recommend a split of 2,500 words for Case A and 1,000 words for Case B.
Case A: Performance and sustainability
Freshly armed with your new Warwick MBA, you have recently joined an executive recruitment firm that specialises in advising and placing senior managers in the drinks industry. One of your clients is currently considering an offer of a senior post at Britvic Plc when a similar post comes up at AG Barr Plc.
Your client has some time to respond to Britvic Plc so is interested to learn more about both companies. She has commissioned you to write a report advising her on the past financial position and financial strength of AG Barr Plc in comparison to Britvic Plc. Your client, given the current circumstances of Covid-19, is particularly interested in how the two companies compare in terms of financial performance, financial stability and job security post- Covid-19.
Required
Write the requested report comparing the financial performance and position of both companies as well as commenting on their future sustainability. Ensure that you make clear conclusions and recommendations.
Note that your client is a busy executive with a strong marketing background but has limited experience of accounting. She will expect a clear and concise report. Some general guidance on acceptable report style follows:
Notes on general report style.
Use the most recent full year accounts of Britvic plc and AG Barr plc.
Give your report a title & provide an Executive Summary,
Give a brief introduction to cover the issues to be analysed and the approach you will consider.
Within the report don’t just show lots of calculations, explain what you infer from the numbers and ratios and how they support your conclusions and recommendations.
Make use of the appendices to show details eg calculations.
Cite sources, state assumptions made, mention other information that might be useful or further investigations you would have liked to conduct. Fully consider both financial and non-financial factors.
Reach a conclusion and give any appropriate advice clearly. Make your report “as concise as is consistent with clarity”.
Make use of supportive diagrams – especially those that emphasise the comparisons between companies.
Case B: Risk and return on equity of Britvic plc and AG Barr plc
Your client is also interested in the cost of equity capital of Britvic and AG Barr. She asks you to provide a comparison of the two companies in terms of equity risk and return, based on monthly prices between July 2016 and June 2021 (60 months).
Required
Write a separate report that summarizes the results of your calculations, describes what you did to obtain them and what your thoughts are on how to interpret them against the background of the risk-return trade-off in financial markets. Please use stock price data mentioned above and the FTSE 250 index to answer the following questions:
1. (a) What is each companys return volatility over the sample period? What is each companys compounded annual growth rate (of its stock price) over the sample period? How would you explain the likely reasons for that growth rate? (10 marks)
2. (b) What is each companys beta with respect to the FTSE 250 Index? How would you interpret your estimated betas? (10 marks)
3. (c) What is each companys cost of equity capital? Please use the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). How would you explain any difference in the cost of equity capital to your client? (9 marks)
4. (d) How would you identify the amount of systematic risk and the amount of unsystematic risk in each stock, using the CAPM? You do not have to perform that calculation, but your client is curious about how this identification works. (6 marks)
5. (e) Are historical data suitable for judging the future development for these two stocks? (5 marks)
Your report has to be clear and concise and should consider the overall assignment word limit. Please answer Case B question per question and indicate clearly what question you are answering.
NOTE
Your reports should be submitted in one pdf document but the two reports (Case A and Case B) are separate and both should be self-contained with their own appendices, references etc.. There is also the facility to upload your case B spreadsheet separately but any spreadsheet work for case A eg tables , diagrams, calculations etc should be copied and pasted into the case A report or Case A appendices.
