BUS 200: Business Finance

Learners in the Week 4 graded assignment for BUS 200 - Business Finance will engage in a comprehensive review and analysis of financial accounting principles, apply those principles to a real-world case study of Amazon's financial reports, and then answer questions on both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. 

In Part A, they will define and explain the purpose of financial statements, differentiate between accrual and cash accounting, identify ethical issues in financial reporting, and explain the basic principles of accounting. In Part B, they will delve into an Amazon Annual Report, interpreting financial data to answer questions about the company's vision, financial statements, and key performance indicators. Part C will see learners defining key Microeconomic concepts like scarcity, choice, opportunity cost, and economic agents, as well as conducting a market analysis, examining market structures, demand and supply factors, and price determination. Finally, in Part D, learners will tackle a Macroeconomics case study, analyzing fiscal and monetary policy trade-offs, evaluating their impacts on the circular flow of income, and proposing solutions grounded in macroeconomic principles.

In this Week 8 assignment for BUS 200 - Business Finance, learners will dive deep into financial management concepts and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios, including an analysis of Amazon's financial reports. The assignment is divided into three parts. 

Part A focuses on core financial management concepts. Learners will tackle questions related to the agency problem in finance, the benefits and drawbacks of going public, asset acquisition, financing decisions, debt management, and calculating financial metrics like Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Payback Period, and Accounting Rate of Return (ARR). 

Part B requires learners to analyze a case study on Zulu Corporation. They will calculate the cost of debt, cost of equity, and cost of preferred stock, compare and contrast these costs, and compute the Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC).  Additionally, learners will tackle questions related to working capital management, including calculating working capital, inventory turnover ratio, accounts receivable days, cash conversion cycle, and quick ratio.  In Part C, learners shift their focus to Amazon's financial reports. They will calculate and analyze Amazon's liquidity, efficiency, profitability, and capital structure ratios for the years 2018 and 2020, concluding Amazon's financial performance and its changes over time.

In Week 11 of BUS 200 - Business Finance, learners will tackle a multi-part assignment focused on investment management and risk management. 

Part A involves analyzing a case study from Week 9's activity, identifying the investment strategy used, evaluating the risk-return relationship, and analyzing the outcomes. Learners will also explore the lessons learned and potential improvements to the strategy. Part B delves into portfolio management through a case study from Week 10. Learners will define portfolio management, discuss the role and skills of a portfolio manager, identify investment objectives, analyze constraints, explain the portfolio construction process, and discuss portfolio diversification and ESG principles. Finally, Part C focuses on risk management. Learners will define risk and differentiate it from uncertainty, explain the importance of risk management, categorize different types of risks, and describe the risk identification process.

The Week 15 assignment for BUS 200 - Business Finance requires learners to analyze four case studies focused on financial risks, business ethics, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). 

Part A involves analyzing market risks, credit risk, and liquidity risk in the context of GlobalTech's expansion strategy. Learners will propose risk mitigation strategies and discuss the role of internal controls and insurance in managing financial risks. Part B focuses on the ethical dilemmas faced by Enron Corporation, the impact of the Enron scandal, and lessons learned for preventing similar ethical lapses. In Part C, learners analyze GreenFlow's governance gaps and CSR challenges, recommending structural changes and a strategic roadmap for improvement. Finally, Part D requires learners to prepare a comprehensive case analysis report on South African Airways, examining its financial health, risks, economic factors, and corporate governance, culminating in recommendations for the company.