Question: For this second milestone, due in Module Five, you will first complete the Company and Market Analysis portion of your final project. Using historic and quantitative data, you will provide a brief discussion of the absolute and relative performance of the chosen companies in terms of industry trends. Next, with your completed company and market analysis in mind, you will begin to construct an investment portfolio that includes a consideration of assets, securities, and rates of return for each of the companies that you will be including in the portfolio. Prompt: Referring to the microeconomic and quantitative data that you have gathered and analyzed, in a 2-to-3-page paper, first briefly discuss each company's stocks and bonds (both corporate and government) for absolute and relative investment performance with regard to industry trends. Next, with your company and market analysis in mind, begin to construct an investment portfolio that includes a consideration of assets, securities, and rates of return for each of the companies that you will be including in the portfolio. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Company and Market Analysis: In this section, you will analyze the company and its position in the financial markets. C. Industry Trends i. Compile historic industry microeconomic data from database research for relative comparisons and inputs into asset valuation models. ii. Analyze quantitative data across sectors and industries to measure absolute and relative performance.

II. Portfolio: With your company and market analysis in mind, construct a complete portfolio that includes the following:

A. Assets

i. Explain the inclusion of specific asset classes for the portfolio, considering the portfolio's risk/return trade-offs and the company's investment objectives.

ii. Apply the asset allocation weightings across asset classes, sectors, and industries.

B. Securities

i. Analyze the company's historical revenue and earnings growth in order to demonstrate a comparison to that of peers in the industry.

ii. Determine the intrinsic value of assets utilizing the asset valuation models.

C. Rates of Return

i. Analyze the assets' historical risk and rates of return, utilizing a comparison of the assets' rates of return to similar securities or benchmarks for support.

ii. Calculate required rates of return, utilizing various asset valuation models (e.g., stock valuation models, bond valuation models, real estate valuation models, etc.)

The five companies I am analyzing are Apple, Caterpillar, Northern Trust, Macy's and Consolidated Edison.