Assignment

This semester we will analyze Ford Motor Company, Inc. Examine the financial statements of the company as well as any other publicly available financial data from websites such as http://my.zacks.com, http://finance.yahoo.com, and http://www.marketwatch.com. In addition, there are many resources at the Graduate Business Subject Guide in the NAU Online Library. Also, within the NAU Online Library, you can access the Hoover's Company Profiles (ProQuest).

The project will be completed in five parts. In each part, your will answer specific questions and calculate some financial ratios. In each learning plan (LP), there will be a dedicated discussion forum for you to share your ratio analysis and, research. Remember, financial ratios can be calculated different ways and publicly available financial statements are not always in the format that carefully classifies assets and liabilities. You will be able to share your questions and comments. The discussions will serve to form the basis for your final written report.

Submit this assignment to your instructor via the dropbox "Final Project." This assignment is worth 160 points and will be graded according to the Final Project - Company Financial Analysis Rubric.

Final project: Financial Statement Analysis (OVERVIEW)

In this class, you are required to complete a financial statement analysis project. This project consists of the following parts;

Part A: Financial analysis of a publicly-held company. We will use Ford's latest consolidated and segment financial statements (form 10K) as filed with the SEC. You will calculate the current ratio and profit margin for the company as a whole. You will also answer general questions relating to Ford's business operations.

Part B: Discussion of risks. You will search Ford's form 10K and identify three majors risks identified by the company. You will also assess the company's market share for automobiles. You will determine the company's growth rate of EPS or dividends.

Part C: Discussion of Ford's capital structure. You will review Ford's consolidated financial statements. You will calculate the company's debt/equity ratio and the earnings per share. You will also determine the company's return on investment and the weighted average cost of capital.

Part D: Discussion of Free Cash Flow. You will determine Ford's consolidated free cash flow. In this part, you will make a prediction as to what the company's stock price would be in three months. You will also review analysts' estimates and predictions for the past year.

Part E: An investment recommendation. You will answer questions relating to whether the company maximizing the wealth of its shareholders? If not, what can they do to achieve this result? You will review your calculations and discussion of the following 6 ratios and financial measures: Current Ratio, Debt/Equity Ratio, Return on Investment, Earnings per Share, Profit Margin and Free Cash Flow. You will conclude your analysis with other observations on the firm and whether your analysis differs from other analyses that are available. You will indicate if there is any other measure you would want in order to make an investment recommendation. Finally, you will make an Investment Recommendation. For this recommendation, assume you have been asked by an investor, age 35, who wishes to invest in conservative stocks that will provide some income now but is mainly interested in growth over the next ten years. Would Ford meet this investor's investment goals? Defend your analysis in 2,000 to 2,500 words written in APA style and cite your sources in a reference list.

Project

Part A: Financial analysis of a publicly-held company. We will use Ford's latest consolidated and segment financial statements (form 10K) as filed with the SEC. You will calculate the current ratio and profit margin for the company as a whole. You will also answer general questions relating to Ford's business operations.

Requirements:

Step 1: Locate Ford's form 10K for the most current year.

1. Go to the SEC's website: www.sec.gov

2. Under Filings and Forms, go to "search for Company Filings"

3. Click on : Company or fund name, ticker symbol, CIK (Central Index Key), file number, state, country, or SIC (Standard Industrial Classification)

4. The Ticker Symbol for Ford is F

5. Locate the form 10K for the latest year. Ford files its annual reports in February. Note the interactive document does not provide all of the information. You will need to open the form 10K.

Step 2: In the Discussion 1.4, share your answers to the following questions. Share where you found the answers with your classmates.

1. What are Ford's 2 major segments?

2. What are the major 3 components associated with Ford's profitability for cars and trucks?
3. Comment briefly (one paragraph) on Ford's planning assumptions and key metrics share.

4. Comment briefly (one paragraph) on Ford's Market for Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Step 3: Calculate the current ratio and the profit margin for Ford . You may share your questions as well as your calculations with your classmates in Discussion 1.4. It is useful to understand that you may have difference calculations due to differences in the formula for the ratio. Compare your answers to publicly-available information to see if your answers are close. Use any of the websites listed in the directions. Share your research with your classmates using Discussion 1.4. Be sure to use the consolidated financial statements.

Step 4: Summarize your findings in a word document. You will add to this document throughout the semester. Your final submission will include the results from part A - D.