Write up:
Each student will compile an analyst report on a company of their choice from the list that I will provide. Analyst report should have an executive summary which will include forecasted financial statements for one year ahead as well as estimated long-term growth projections. The executive summary should be supported by a detailed analysis of a company’s performance and explanations of how the analyst expectations were developed.
The analyst report has to have a section for each of the topic covered in class: 1) executive summary; 2) business and strategy analysis, 3) accounting analysis 4) financial (ratio) analysis, 5) prospective analysis (forecasting); This section should have -a well thought through analysis supported by calculations and exhibits.
I expect that the length of your report should be around 10 pages; however, length is less important than the quality of your analysis. Please note that rules with respect to appropriate citations of others work apply here (see above), especially with respect to the references of published analyst reports.
The Company Name is: Packaging Corporation of America – PKG
Writing problems that will cause your grade
to suffer:
- Bad grammar and spelling.
- Please proofread the paper before submitting it.
- Avoid passive voice and “complex” and “flashy” expressions. Stick to thepoint.
Writing problems cont:
- Bad organization; absence of logical flow
- Write to the point.
- Do not write more than one or two sentences that are not closely related to the project.
Anti-plagiarism guidelines:
- Plagiarism is an example of academic misconduct which can and often will result in an F onthe assignment and, if egregious, an F in the course.
Anti-plagiarism cont:
- In your paper or presentation, do not ever:Copy text directly from any website without quotation marks and directattribution.
- If you paraphrase someone, you must still cite them.
- Compose the majority of your assignment of quotations of others.
- It is OK and expected to cite other people’s writing and thoughts. However, the majority
of the text must be your thoughts.
- Writing a paper is not a cut and paste exercise even when accompanied by properattributions and citations!
Other business writing good practices to Remember:
- Business writing is different than creative writing or introductory composition writing.
- Format matters. Use of bullet points is often appropriate.
Other good practices cont:
- For good business writing samples, take a look at practitioner literature in your field. In accounting, take a look at Journal of Accountancy, CPA Journal, or Strategic Finance Magazine.
- Business writing articles tend to follow APA citation methodology.
Guidelines on presentation slides:
- Your slides should not have too much text.
- 3-4 bullet points is typically the limit
- Short sentences that do not have more than 2 lines.
- Slides should be the guide and an outline of the presentation.
- If participants read the slides while you present, they are not listening
to you.