Financial Research Report

Imagine that you are a financial manager researching investments for your client. Your investment should align with your client's investment goals. You Choose Apple Inc.

The assignment covers the following topics:

Rationale for choosing the company in which to invest

Ratio analysis

Stock price analysis

Recommendations

Refer to the following resources to assist with completing your assignment:

Stock Selection

Forbes- "Six Rules to Follow When Picking Stocks"

CNN Money - "Stocks: Investing in stocks"

The Motley Fool - "13 Steps to Investing Foolishly"

Seeking Alpha - "The Graham And Dodd Method For Valuing Stocks"

Investopedia - "Guide to Stock-Picking Strategies"

Seeking Alpha - "Get Your Smart Beta Here! Dividend Growth Stocks As 'Strategic Beta' Investments"

Market and Company Information

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - "Market Structure"

Yahoo! Finance

Mergent Online(Note:This resource is also available through the Strayer Learning Resource Center.)

Seeking Alpha(Note:Also available through the Android or iTunes App store.)

Morningstar

Research Hub, located in the left menu of your course in Blackboard.

First Question

Provide a rationale for the stock that you selected, indicating the significant economic, financial, and other factors that led you to consider this stock.

Second Question

Suggest the primary reasons why the selected stock is a suitable investment for your client. Include a description of your client's profile.

Third Question

Select any five (5) financial ratios that you have learned about in the text. Analyze the past three (3) years of the selected financial ratios for the company; you may obtain this information from the company's financial statements. Determine the company's financial health. (Note:Suggested ratios include, but are not limited to, current ratio, quick ratio, earnings per share, and price earnings ratio.)

Fourth Question

Based on your financial review, determine the risk level of the stock from your investor's point of view. Indicate key strategies that you may use in order to minimize these perceived risks.

Fifth Question

Provide your recommendations of this stock as an investment opportunity. Support your rationale with resources, such as peer-reviewed articles, material from the Strayer Learning Resource Center, and reviews by market analysts.

Use at least five (5) quality academic resources in this assignment.

Note: No Wikipedia, Google References,and other similar websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Be typed, font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA . The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

Critique financial management strategies that support business operations in various market environments.

Analyze financial statements for key ratios, cash flow positions, and taxation effects.

Review fixed income strategies using time value of money concept, bond valuation methods, and interest rate calculations.

Estimate the risk and return on financial investments.

Apply financial management options to corporate finance.

Determine the cost of capital and how to maximize returns.

Formulate cash flow analysis for capital projects including project risks and returns.

Evaluate how corporate valuation and forecasting affect financial management.

Analyze how capital structure decision-making practices impact financial management.

Use technology and information resources to research issues in financial management.

Write clearly and concisely about financial management using proper writing mechanics.