For the Final Project, you are to conduct an analysis and evaluation of the capital structures and costs of capital for three publicly held firms in the same industry over a history of 5 years. You are to research the various aspects of these organisations, such as creditworthiness, leverage, dividend policy, and working capital management. The organisations that are selected must be publicly traded on a large exchange, such as the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, the London Stock Exchange, or the Tokyo Stock Exchange. You do not have to select three companies listed on the same exchange; however, the companies selected must have information that is readily and easily accessible, such as through the firm's Web site. Specifically, you will need to research the following aspects of each organisation, while analysing the differences between the three:
- Capital structure
- Use and effect of leverage
- Dividend policy
- Long-term financing policy
- Working capital management practices
- Mergers and acquisitions (possibility of, past history of, and outcomes/effects)
Your Final Project should also include a section detailing where you obtained the information sources, as well as the methodology used to perform any analysis. This project should follow a structured approach and should be prepared and presented as a professional business report.
For the Project Proposal to be submitted this week, you should select the organisations that you will research. You will also identify the resources that will be utilised, as well as any expectations, concerns, issues, etc. Citations should be in Harvard Referencing Format. Proposals should be 500-1,000 words in length.