Solved by verified expert :Faculty of Business
BUACC5901Accounting
and Finance
Assignment, Semester
1, 2014
1. General information and
due date
This assignment constitutes
35 per cent of the assessment in this unit. The due date will be advised by
your lecturer. The assignment is to be submitted via Moodle.
2. Purpose
BUACC5901 is concerned
primarily with the use of accounting information. The purpose of the assignment
is to provide students with the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills
acquired in Accounting and Finance to a practical task involving the use of
‘real-world’ accounting information. This is intended to consolidate students’
accounting knowledge and skills. Students are required to complete the
assignment in groups of two or three. The objective of such group work is to
foster the development of co-operative work skills.
3. Requirements
The
basic requirement is to undertake a general financial analysis comparing Webjet
Limited (ASX Code: WEB) financial position and performance in the Financial
Years 2012 and 2013 compared to that of Wotif Limited (ASX Code: WTF) over the
same period.
(Note: students are to use
the ‘Consolidated’ data in conducting their analysis.) The analysis should
consider the ratio categories of : profitability, asset efficiency, liquidity,
capital structure, and market performance.
Note
that for those 2012 ratios which involve Balance Sheet figures students will
require the 2012 annual statements (in addition to the 2013 report) to provide
the 2012 beginning-of-year balance sheet figures.
The assignment will contain
two main elements:
Schedule(s) of relevant
ratios and other useful calculations
A detailed calculation of
relevant ratios and other useful calculations should be included as one or more
appendices prepared using Excel or a similar spreadsheet. Students are advised
to show the formulae used in determining particular ratios and other figures.
Data items (for example ‘Sales Revenue’ or ‘Total Assets’) should be entered in
a single cell in a specially designated ‘data area’ in the spreadsheet, with
any calculation referencing the relevant data cell.
A written report
The written report should:
1
Explain
briefly what is revealed by the ratios and other calculations in the context of
the company’s profitability, asset efficiency, liquidity, capital structure,
and market performance. In particular, any important changes over the period
2012 to 2013 should be identified, discussed and, where possible, explained.
Provide
an overall assessment of whether the company’s performance over the 2013
financial year have been better than 2012, and which of the companies has
improved its performance to a greater extent over this period. The judgement
should be made from the perspective of existing equity investors
(shareholders).
4. Other guidelines
The written report should
not exceed 3,000 words +/- 10%. Assignments with a word count outside of these
parameters will be penalised.
The
assignment is to comply with the University’s General Guide for the
Presentation of Academic Work. Students are required to use the APA
style of referencing.
Students
are encouraged to research additional public information about the company from
sources other than the annual report (for example, from the internet,
newspapers, and business magazines). However, it is not envisaged that students
will be engaged in extensive research of this nature and it is expected that
the annual report will be the primary resource relied upon in completing the
assignment.
Students
are requested not to make direct contact with either company (for example by
telephone, fax, letter or email) in an attempt to gather further information.
Do not
reproduce company promotional material from the annual report or company
website and represent it as critical analysis. It is not and it will not
attract any marks!
Students
are expected to obtain relevant share price data for the company so that investment
ratios (such as a price earnings ratio) can be calculated. (It is recommended
that students obtain the company’s share price as at the 2013 and 2012 balance
dates for the purpose of calculating relevant ratios on these dates. Share
price data is available from a variety of sources including the internet.
Students
may find it useful to consult accounting references, in addition to the
prescribed text, which deal with the analysis and interpretation of company
financial reports.
5. Assessment criteria
In assessing submitted
assignments consideration will be given to:
Overall
neatness, completeness and quality of presentation.Graduate levelstudents
are expected to achieve a satisfactory standard with respect to this criterion
as a matter of course, and for this reason no credit will be granted for
achieving it. However, assignments that fail to achieve the minimum standard in
connection with this criterion may be penalised. The expected standard
concerning this criterion is compliance with the University’s General Guide
for the Presentation of Academic Work(revised edition 2011).
2
Demonstrated
skill in identifying and calculating relevant ratios and other indicators of
profitability, asset efficiency, liquidity, capital structure, and market
performance.This
criterion relates specifically to the requirement to preparea
schedule (or schedules) of relevant ratios and other calculations and carries a
weighting of 10 marks out of the 35 available marks for the whole assignment.
Demonstrated
understanding of financial reports and ratios and other indicators of
profitability, asset efficiency, liquidity, capital structure, and market
performance.This
criterion relates specifically to the requirement to submit awritten
report and carries a weighting of 25 marks out of the 35 available for the
whole assignment.
A copy of the detailed
feedback sheet,showing
how the marks are allocated, isattached on the following page.
A single copy of the
assignment should be submitted, for which each student in the group will
usually receive the same mark. This is based on the expectation that each
student in a group will contribute equally to the preparation of the
assignment. Where this expectation has not been satisfied separate marks may be
allocated.
Lodgement
Group assignments need to
be lodged on Moodle by 5pm on Friday 30 May 2014 (Week 10).
A lodgement box will be set
up in Moodle for this purpose later in the semester.
The front page of your
lodged assignment must include a word count (exclude appendices, headers,
footers and contents page in any word count).
Once marked, assignments
will be available in Moodle with feedback and marks.
3
BUACC5901 Accounting
and Finance
Assignment assessment
report, TP1 2014
Student Group:
_______________________________________________________________
(35 marks)
Marks
available
Marks
Comments
awarded
Introduction
/
3 marks
3.0
Exec Summary
Findings
/
5 categories
=
Conclusion
about 10 ratios
1.0 marks each
10.0
for interpretation
and analysis
Valid conclusion
1.5
1.5 marks
Thinking
process
3.5
marks
3.5
+ clarity of
thought
Appendix
/ Ratio
5
categories =
Calculations
about 10 ratios
10.0
1 mark each for
calculations
Grammar
and
4 marks
4.0
spelling
Overall
quality of
3 marks
4.0
assignment
Total Marks
_____ / 35
4
