Devry Fin515 week 5 discussions

Week 1 Accounting Versus Finance (graded)

Much of the analysis done by financial managers is based on numbers that are different from what would seem to the corresponding numbers presented in the financial statements. This difference is not due to any kind of cooking the books or other attempts to mislead anyone. One example is the use of market value rather than historical cost in the valuation of assets. What are some other examples of the differences between financial management and financial accounting?

Financial Analysis (graded)

In this discussion, we will be working with the variety of financial analysis tools available to us. Let's start with the DuPont Identity introduced in Chapter 2 of the text. For your initial post, locate the financial statements for two firms in one industry. Calculate all four terms of the DuPont Identity and present the results but do not analyze the results. For an additional post, analyze the results that another student has posted. If you were the appropriate financial manager of one of the firms that you analyzed, what would be your observations and recommendations?

Week 2

TVM Pass-a-Problem (graded)

• This week, the lecture provided some examples of TVM problem scenarios. For your first post, provide a story problem that can be solved using one or more of the TVM calculations.
• Your second post can be a description of how the problem posed by another student can be solved. Your professor may provide an example.

· Assumptions of the TVM Model (graded)

What are some of the assumptions behind the TVM calculations? How do these assumptions limit our application of these calculations?

Week 3

Examples of Capital Expenditure From Your Industry (graded)

Describe a potential capital expenditure project from the industry in which you now work or an industry in which you are interested. What is the project? Describe and provide an approximate value of the initial cash flow. Describe and provide an approximate value of the annual cash flows. Provide an estimation of the life of the project, as well as the exit costs.

Capital Budgeting Terms and Considerations (graded)

Our textbook and lecture discuss some considerations that should be taken into account when doing capital budgeting. How will these considerations affect the project you described in the other topic? Incremental earnings, interest expenses, taxes, opportunity costs, externalities, sunk costs, cannibalization or erosion, depreciation, and salvage value; as well as others.

Week 4

Market Value of a Stock Versus DDM Value (graded)

Select a stock in which you are interested. Calculate its per share value using the DDM or another method discussed in Chapter 9. Then find the current market value of a share of the stock. Compare that two. Can you explain the similarity or difference?

Differences in YTM of Real Life Bonds (graded)

Do some research, probably on the Web, and find some bonds with differing yields to maturity (YTM). How do you explain the difference? Both the lecture and the textbook discuss some factors that may lead to this difference.

Week 5

Calculating WACC for a Real Firm (graded)

The Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) for a firm can be calculated or found through research. Select two firms in the same industry. The industry may be that in which you currently work or it may be an industry in which you are interested. Calculate or find the WACC for the two firms. How do the WACCs compare? Are the WACCs what you would expect? What causes the differences between the two firms' WACCs?

Finding Stock Values for Real Stocks Using Beta and the SML (graded)

Our second discussion topic concerns the calculation of stock values using the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). We will start with a discussion of risk and work towards practical application of the model. The textbook provides a list of betas for a selection of stocks. Choose a few firms from that list and discuss whether the betas are what you would expect. Be sure to explain why or why not.

Week 6

Examples of Real Agency Problems and How They Could Have Been Prevented (graded)

Do some research and find some historical or current real life examples of agency problems. Will the measures discussed in the text help to prevent problems like your examples in the future? What else would you advise? You may provide examples of agency problems from your own experience. If you do that, be careful to provide enough anonymity that you won't get in trouble.

The Role of Financial Managers in Ethical Corporate Governance (graded)

Does the financial manager have a greater responsibility or a lesser responsibility for maintaining ethical corporate governance? Why or why not? What is or will be your approach to ethical corporate governance now or in the future?

Week 7

Industry Approaches to Working Capital Financing (graded)

Do some research on two firms in your industry or an industry in which you are interested. Can you get an idea of their working capital management policies from publicly available information? How do the two companies differ in their apparent working capital management policies? Which policy do you think is better and why?

Your Preference for Working Capital Management Policy (graded)

Consider the company you work for or a company in which you are interested. Also, do some research to find some current cost estimates for various means of financing working capital. What would be your recommendation to the company for financing its working capital needs? If the information is publicly available, or if you have access to it AND have permission to discuss it, how does your recommendation compare what the firm is actually doing?