University of Wales Master in Business Administration BA608 Financial Management
ASSIGNMENT TERM TWO (SEPTEMBER 2011) Instructions:
Complete this cover sheet, which forms the first page of your assignment submission.
Student declaration: I declare that:
I understand what is meant by plagiarism. The implication of plagiarism has been explained to me by my institution. This assignment is all my own work and I have acknowledged any use of the published and unpublished works of other people. Date:
Students signature:. Total number of pages including this cover page Submission Date Students ID Students Full Name Lecturers Name OFFICIAL USE ONLY Due Date Class Code
Markers comments
Markers name:
Initial marks awarded Penalty on late submission Penalty for plagiarism Final marks awarded
/100 /100
T211 BA608 Assignment QP September 2011
Instructions to Students:
1. The assessment criteria includes: (a) Content of Work. This includes the amount of research done to provide accurate and credible information necessary for this assignment. (b) Creativity, Originality and Style of Work. This refers to the uniqueness and artistic element of the final assignment. (c) Presentation of the Final Assignment. This refers to the clarity, organization and final project. Independent research on the relevant topic area is encouraged. Work that demonstrates an in-depth analysis of the question and that provides a coherent answer will be awarded a higher grade compared to that which simply regurgitates answers from the texts. To avoid plagiarism please: (a) paraphrasing work rather than cut & paste. (b) include citation in your work. (c) include a reference list in the work you submit Please note that your work will be submitted to detection software and if work is found to have been plagiarized, your work will be penalized. The following is a guide that will be used when penalizing work:
2.
3.
Amount of plagiarized material Less than 20%
Marks reduction No attribution made No reduction Inadequate attribution made No reduction
Less than 20% is a guide used to accommodate the limitation of the software i.e. assignment questions submitted which creates an increase in the SI index. Students are reminded to paraphrase, cite your work with proper referencing. Between 21 % and 50% Between 51% and 70% Between 71% and 80% Over 80% Reduce marks by 50% (Divide marks by 2) Reduce marks by 67% (Divide marks by 3) Reduce marks by 75% (Divide marks by 4) Reduce to zero Reduce marks by 25% (Multiply marks by ) Reduce marks by 50% (Divide marks by 2) Reduce marks by 67% (Divide marks by 3) Reduce marks by 75% (Divide marks by 4)
4.
The word limit for this assignment should be about 3,000 words + 10% (total). A minimum of three (3) sources or references are required aside from the textbook of the course.
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T211 BA608 Assignment QP September 2011
5. 6.
The document must include page number; use Times New Roman Font (Size 12) with top, bottom margins of 1 and right, left margins of 1.25 and with Justify alignment. (a) The format of the assignment should be as follows: Front cover (i.e. title page), stating the: Module name and code Students full name and I/C number Class code Name of lecturer Submission date (b) Contents page (c) Main body of the assignment (d) References Example: Philip Kotler. Marketing Management Analysis Planning, Implementation, and Control (9th edition). Prentice Hall International, 1997 Complete the mark criteria list with your name and id and submit it together in your assignment.
7.
Assignments must be presented in hard copy with CD well secured in the hardcopy. The CD should contain the following documents: Softcopy of the assignment that is submitted and the plagiarism report. Retain a photocopy of your course assignment. Complete your assignment and hand it in by: 10th Lesson Late submissions will be penalized by deduction of 5 marks per day; any submissions later than five calendar days will not be marked. This assignment, which carries 25% of the total assessment for the module, is compulsory for students attending the coming UOW MBA Examination.
8. 9. 10.
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T211 BA608 Assignment QP September 2011
The following guideline will be adopted when grading the assignment: Marks 80% & above Criterion Compelling and well structured report with relevant message & information Comprehensive and detailed explanation Clear signs of sophisticated understanding of the theme under discussion Excellent articulation of points/views/comments Independent analysis, observations and comments Excellent understanding of the theme Very good in terms of comprehensiveness and clarity Good use of external sources to support points brought up Signs of independent analysis Variety of sources appropriately analyzed, applied and discussed Good effort and evidence of research and application Clear and covers the obvious points coherently presented Some effort at use of independent judgment and external sources of information. Effort in covering important points mostly gathered from textbook and lecture notes Scattered efforts at using information gathered from external sources mostly with a purpose and sometimes with no clear purpose Some independent contributions and thoughts Shows evidence of organize arguments in logical manner Facts mostly reproduced from the source Addressed the purpose of the report and assignment task Some efforts at independent contributions/thoughts Simplistic or slightly unstructured /confused presentation Demonstrates low level of understanding Fails to present relevant points satisfactorily to answer the specific questions Confused presentation and unclear language Produces chunks of information from the sources with no signs of having assimilated the information
70% - 79%
60% - 69%
50% - 59%
40% - 49%
39% and below
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T211 BA608 Assignment QP September 2011
University of Wales Master in Business Administration BA608 Financial Management
ASSIGNMENT TERM TWO (SEPTEMBER 2011)
Assignment Question
INTRODUCTION This assignment requires you to research and write a financial profile of Apple Inc., and to analyse its business financial strategy. You should use the analytical tools and techniques covered in this module to frame your thinking and findings. This is predominantly an online research exercise, as the growth of Apple Inc. is extensively documented on the World Wide Web. A useful overview can be found on Apple Inc., at [Link] and the latest attached Apple Inc. financial information report. Do not rely only on this Apple entry. You will need to carry out deeper research to answer the questions set in the Tasks below. Word Limit: 5,000 words, plus/minus 10% (excluding diagrams, visuals and appendices). ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS Mr. Larry Look of Apple Inc. has asked you to help the Board with their investment decision. Specifically, he wants you to produce a report that develops a recommendation on the acceptance or rejection of the possibility of the acquisition of either Google, Microsoft or Amazon. This target of acquisition is to be crucially evaluated in light of their current and future growth potential, alongside with their NPV to decide the best acquisition of only ONE of the mentioned entities. a) Write a report to Mr. Larry Look, the CEO on the basis of your research. You should clearly show all calculations in detail. As Mr. Larry Look does not have any formal financial qualifications, you will need to give your explanation in a manner that is clearly understandable to him and include an explanation that justifies your conclusion. You are required to include the following below-mentioned tasks 1, 2 and 3 research works in your report before you develop a recommendation on the acceptance or rejection of the possibility of the acquisition of Yahoo, Microsoft and Amazon.
Task 1 (10 marks)
Present a profile of Apple Inc. Including: A brief historical perspective, detailing its origins and growth Its products Its financial status to date
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T211 BA608 Assignment QP September 2011
Its business and revenue model
Task 2 (20 marks)
Critically evaluate Apples strengths and weaknesses, through an analysis of its financial performance. This should include a review of the financial impact on at least: Markets served effectively Key technologies Capital base and revenue streams
Task 3 (20 marks)
Critically appraise Apples financial opportunities and threats, using appropriate tools and techniques of environmental and competitive analysis. Your evaluation should include the financial investment on at least: Consideration of broad marketplace trends The actions and reactions of major global competitors, such as: o Yahoo o Microsoft o Amazon [Task 1 + Task 2 + Task 3 + Recommendation + Research = 80 marks] [80 marks] b) Your report will include a 750 word essay that outlines the benefits of the NPV approach discount rates in comparison to other appraisal methods and how risk can be factored in the appraisal but state briefly why. [10 marks] You are required to do a presentation using PowerPoint slides on the feasibility of the project. [10 Marks] [Total: 100 marks]
c)
- END OF ASSIGNMENT -
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