Assignment:
Corporate Governance & Ethics - general question
You should be aware of the many benefits of outstanding corporate governance including stability of equity prices, avoidance of unexpected takeover offers, and sensitivity to shareholders concerns regarding compensation of senior executives and the strategic direction of the firm. These attributes come about through the efforts of multiple "players" or influences regarding the manner in which the governance structure and performance are developed.
Choose 3 of the following players or agents that have the most influence on your assigned company and discuss how they influence the creation and maintenance of the governance of the firm and how this affects the value of the firm.
Things to consider discussing in your answer:
• Why did you select these three players and how do they exert their influence?
• Where do they have common and conflicting issues in their governance approaches?
• What ethical issues stand out the most strongly for your chosen agents?
• How does "agency theory" enter the relationship?
• How does the financial planner incorporate ethical considerations, relevant to your assigned firm, into developing a risk profile approach for clients with different values and objectives?
Players:
• Financial planners/Investment advisors
• Board of directors
• Senior management and incentive/compensation structures
• Investment banks and security analysts
• Accounting and auditing firms
• Creditors and credit rating firms
• Activist shareholders
• Merger and acquisition firms
• SEC and other regulatory requirements
• Corporate social responsibility concerns
Remember
• Connect the data/information with economic and finance theory
• Provide actionable information for decision-making
• You are assessed based on your unique discussion not just a compilation of external sources and analysis
Formatting
• Limit your answer to 2500 words Cite your sources using APA style
o The tables and charts do not count as part of the overall word count
Use headings to clearly show you are answering each part of the overall question
Single-space within paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs
Section headings to get you started
o Section 1: Overview of company data and information that pertains to governance
o Section 2: Analysis and synthesis of data and information. Make sure to delineate the three players.
o Section 3: Conclusion with recommendations for managers including how and why to use this information/analysis for decisions
International - general question
You are a financial analyst for a major brokerage house. Your task is to prepare a report for the firm's financial advisors, the people who advise clients on their portfolio allocation, and for the firm's portfolio managers, the people who manage the mutual funds and ETFs as to the suitability of the country for investment.
Analyze and synthesize the following economic and financial concepts/indicators as you assess the current and future situation for your country keeping in mind that the managers and advisors will use your report to make decisions for the firm and for the firm's clients. Thus, the managers and advisors do not want a list of data. They want someone to tell them what the data means and how they can use the information for decisions.
Choose 3 of the following factors for your analysis that provide insight into the opportunities and pitfalls of investing in this particular country. Why are the selected indicators the strongest for decision-making in your judgment?
• Inflation
• Unemployment
• Government spending, debt, and deficit/surplus
• Central Bank policy
• Trade agreements
• Exchange rate
• Major industries, especially for export and import
• Demographics
• Stock market performance
• Political environment and ramifications
Remember
• Connect the data/information with economic and finance theory
• Provide actionable information for decision-making
• You are assessed based on your unique discussion not just a compilation of external sources and analysis
Data
• Use tables and charts to present data instead of using valuable word space to delineate data
• Use current data and information
• Use summary statistics to explain and support your analysis
• Clearly number your tables and figures
o For each table or figure, you employ in your discussion, make sure you cite the source (s) right below the table
Formatting
• Limit your answer to 2500 words
o The tables and charts do not count as part of the overall word count
Cite your sources using APA style
Use headings to clearly show you are answering each part of the overall question
Single-space within paragraphs and double-space between paragraphs
Sources/References
• Basic Internet sources for country information include CIA World Factbook, Export.gov, OECD.org, World Development Indicators, and St.
Louis Fed FRED database
o Use only high-quality sources
Library databases such as Business Source Complete, and OECD iLibrary along with others with which you may be familiar and/or used in various classes
Direct Links to useful information for your presentation:
o CIA World Factbook:
o OECD.org:
o World Development Indicator:
o St. Louis Fed FRED:
Section headings to get you started
o Section 1: Overview of the country including charts/tables that present relevant data
o Section 2: Analysis and synthesis of data and information including a country's comparative advantage and how your analysis relates to theory
o Section 3: Conclusion with recommendations for managers including how and why to use your information/analysis for decisions.