Financial Management Decision Making

You have been hired by a mutual fund as a management consultant to evaluate a publicly held company that the fund is considering adding to its holdings. Specifically, you will appraise the company's work environment/organizational culture, financial stability, domestic and international financial growth opportunities, ethical practices, diversity/composition of its board of directors, corporate social responsibility practices, and evidence-based decision-making practices. Based on your evaluation, you will give a report to the investors of the mutual fund that will include your recommendations as to whether this company aligns with the mutual fund's investment philosophy, which emphasizes companies that are recognized for their practices related to ethics, social responsibility, and global expansion.

Company Profile (Lowe's Companies, Inc. Common Stock (LOW) NASDAQ

1. Describe the publicly held company you selected for this evaluation, including its Nasdaq or NYSE stock symbol, its industry, where it operates, and what kinds of products/services it provides.

2. Identify the mission and vision of the company.

3. Evaluate the company on its value to shareholders in the following areas, being sure to provide relevant examples, details, and citations to support your evaluation for each area: 3.1 Work environment/organizational culture 3.2 Financial stability 3.3 Opportunities for further domestic and international growth

4. Ethical practices

5. Diversity/composition of the board of directors

6. Corporate social responsibility practices

7. Evidence-based decision-making practices

*Based on your assessment of the company, synthesize your recommendations of whether or not to add the company to the holdings of the mutual fund. Be sure to justify your recommendations, with appropriate supporting details and references to relevant sources.