Your assignment is to produce a Professional or Institutional quality Investment Research Report into a stock or company of your choosing to include a reference to the learning outcomes or themes listed hereunder.

The assignment is $60\%$ of your final mark for the module.

Comment:

The wide range of stocks or companies will allow your group to focus on an area that is topical and interests you. Any Assignment questions or queries can be discussed before, during or after class in person weekly.

In your assignment reference the following learning outcomes or themes as they pertain to your subject:

$1.$ Current dynamics in Corporate Funding and or Capital Budgeting decisions.

$2.$ Trends in shareholder returns including pay$-$out $($dividends$)$ and share buy$-$backs.

$3.$ The effect of rising interest rates and financing costs on corporate activity including investment.

Required:

A $2500$ word per group report to be uploaded onto Loop by Module by end of term, $1$ May $2024.$ One submission per group will suffice. Students will self$-$select groups and ideally groups will comprise of five students each.

Format and marking scheme as follows:

$1.$ Executive Summary or Abstract $10\%$

$2.$ Introduction The why, context, relevance and or recent news$-$flow of your topic $10\%$

$3.$ Literature Review Recent Banking, Media and or Academic reports; the consensus view $20\%$

$4.$ Analysis and Argument $-$ Compare and Contrast your analysis and argument to the salient points found in your Literature Review from Fundamental, Financial and Technical perspectives $50\%$

$5.$ Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations $10\%$

Direction:

Include graphics and charts if applicable. And summarise same.

Try to be succinct, that is$,$ comprehensive yet to the point.

Avoid making statements or assumptions without backing it up with facts $-$ Think legally or scientifically, so to speak, and avoid subjectivity.

References should be timely, relevant and resonate. Do Not overly reference. Bibliography should be one page max.

Ultimately, ask yourself would someone pay for the insight afforded by your work or learn something new?

Any primary research carries the possibility of additional marks.